My husband and I have been attending owner's meetings during our weeks 51 & 52 every year for the past 10 years since we purchased our weeks, and have brought up the need for a DVD player in the master bedroom every time to management.

We own 2 units during this time and always rent out one of them. Our clients always ask about whether there is a DVD player in the master bedroom for themselves. It seems like the kids (no matter what age they are...adult "kids" included) are always watching the one in the living room.

We completely agree and don't understand why they still haven't been purchased. They can be bought for under $30 each. What's the deal? Does anyone have any answers to this? Every year we are told by management..."They are coming...soon. We know about the need for them. It will help keep Casa Ybel a platinum resort". So, where are they? Why they weren't added when the new TV's were purchased after the hurricane is still a mystery!

Anyway, I thought someone might have some answers for me why this hasn't happened yet. Or not!

That's it. Thanks!

Beth

Here's a suggestion and a solution. Turn off the **** T.V. Go to the library and check out some great books. Better yet, spend time with the children playing board games, preparing a wonderful three-course meal, biking or walking (lord knows most kids including "adult kids" are overweight from too little exercise and too much stupid T.V and video games). You will find this time to be invaluable and very rewarding. I am adamantly opposed to purchasing DVD players for any rooms and argue we spend the $30 purchasing books to begin an on-site library.

Are you serious that DVD players are necessary to remain a platinum resort? What happened to the award-winning beach?

Hang in there management, do not give in.

Wow, Dave, a bit harsh don't you think? Maybe people would like to watch a movie at bedtime after they have cooked that great meal, spent the day reading at the beach and bicycling all over the island.

Bob, Thanks for you words of encouragement!

And to you Dave. What is Your Problem? To say your reaction was Harsh is a nice way of putting it. Wow! You were incredibly rude for what reason I can't imagine. What a response from you!

Just so you know! My oldest son graduated with a degree in music and never had a T.V. in his house during his entire college experience. Never! He reads the most incredible literature. CONSTANTLY! All he does is read. My youngest just started high school and yes...she actually likes to watch T.V. at times. Imagine that?

My middle son is a second year student at Oberlin studying PHILOSOPHY (try reading one of those books) and does not have a T.V. in his room or his dorm. Imagine that? He never watches T.V. even at home. He reads the newspaper or gets news off the computer.

My kids read. Good Literature. ALL THE TIME! That is all they do. At school. On vacation. Because they love to Read! ON THE GORGEOUS BEACHES OF SANIBEL where we obviously have not forgotten about the award winning beach since we own 4 weeks over weeks 51 & 52. You don't know anything about us so how can you judge what we do? I don't understand people like you who think they have the right to tell other people what to do with their lives? It's just incredible to me that you would presume to tell us how to spend OUR TIME AS A FAMILY while vacationing in Sanibel!

The only time my kids actually read a little less, is when we are on vacation in Sanibel and they GO TO THE LIBRARY AND TAKE OUT MOVIES THAT WE WATCH TOGETHER AS A FAMILY LATE AT NIGHT. By the way, they take out books while we are down there too because we have a LIBRARY CARD THERE! We use it all the time!

My kids have grown up on Sanibel Island rollerblading and biking and canoeing and walking the beaches and flying kites and feeding the birds and playing in the sand and building sandcastles with their grandparents.

Just because I suggested there be an additional DVD player in the master bedroom so after a long day, my husband and I can climb into bed and relax with a GOOD MOVIE instead of watching the "crap" on T.V... Is that so bad? And yes, my husband and I actually READ all the time too! My husband is a physician and the only time he gets to read novels for pleasure and not just medical stuff, is on vacation!

I never used the term Platinum. That came from Management. Not me.

And why should we spend $30 towards buying books when there is a fabulous library that anyone can use for free. I wonder if most people even know that if you are an owner on Sanibel you are entitled to a library card.

And one more thing. I am on vacation and I don't cook 3 course fancy meals. We eat out every night!

Beth

WOW! Good for you Beth. Sorry David, I'm with Bob and Beth on this one. I for one don't read much except for newspapers and a few magazines. Does this make me less of a person or family man? Will you also judge me for watching a little TV at night while I fall asleep? Man, I hope that your reaction was you just having a bad day. I'll give you a free pass this once, but an appoligy to Beth would be nice.

I thought this website was for owners to discuss ways that they felt would make their vacations (and possibly other owners)a little nicer. Even though I probably wouldn't use a DVD in the bedroom, the small amount of money it would cost wouldn't bother me; especially the way the board seems to **** our money away.

I am sorry Beth took my message personally - though in her second posting seems to support my position. Beth, I was aiming at all the bloggers (me included) and not you specifically. You are undoubtedly a terrific mother.

I stand by denouncement of purchasing DVD Players. In my opinion, this is simply wasteful spending - and believe me parents will use it to send their children to the second bedroom to watch movies (so not to disrupt their evenings) as opposed to spending time as a family. What’s next? – high definition televisions, computers, golf carts (so overweight children and adults don’t have to walk around Building H and tire themselves out), and on and on.

If you must, bring a portable DVD from home. They weigh less than 2 lbs. (easily packable) and can hook directly into most modern TV's.

Here's an idea - Let's collect the $30 per unit and send it the campaign fund of John McCain and Sarah Palin!

Hey David,

Here's a better idea: Let's send the 30 MILLION DOllARS we spend each day in Iraq back into our economy.

Thanks Tom..I am completely with you! And David, since you opened the door on this one...Why am I not surprised by your choice for President and V.P.?
GO OBAMA & McCAIN!

Beth: Now that would be an interesting ticket (Obama & McCain)

Way to go Beth!
David is of the school that thinks of indoor plunbing as an example of flaming liberalism.

Steve...I am actually beginning to enjoy this forum. Thanks for the encouragement!

A very interesting debate.
Brought up in Denmark I can't believe how much
our youngest grand children in the US knows about plugging in any of their many game boxes and what have you to any TV set.
We always needed the game box inputs, which are the same as the DVD inputs. They can find them any time in no time.
We never had a DVD hook up with them around, and it gets to be pretty much waisted time for them with game boxes when they could be walking or studying the beaches.
I think the front desk should have DVD loaners with good DVDs for sign out.

Regarding the election, in Denmark you vote for someone to run one of the ten or twelve different party choices from left to right, then they make coalitions afterwards to handle the country between them.

How can a change from one person to another person in the same king size party party change the running of a king size country?
Is the Republican party that easy to dissolve?
A party that big can not change its workings with millions of people involved over night?
Did Bush and Chaney (by themselves) do all the wrongs???
They must have had thousands around agreeing with them in order to excecute the plans?

Perhaps I am wrong, it would be nice to see some new life for America.

To me you can change the captain, but the boat is still the same, we need a new high speed cruiser to get into the modern age away from oil.

My home town in Denmark made windmills from the time
I grew up, now I am told our small plant in Denmark makes most of the wind mills in the world.
The name might seem familiar now, Vestas from the little town in Denmark is now empolying 4-5000 people in Colorado! at two different locations making towers and propellers.
GE, whom I worked for is now copying their game, Boone Pekkins bought millions of Dollars worth from GE recently!

Thanks
Carl

I have already had a couple of calls regarding VESTAS.
Yes, they are trading on all world markets, including our American exchanges.
From $70 to $80 a year ago they have almost doublet and it is not the same old small town operation anymore.
From 100% Danish ownership they have opened up in all world trade markets and how now almost 70% ownership from the international markets.
And this is not small change.
Denmark agrees with the USA that it pays to outsource your products.
There would not be enough Danes around to do it by themselves so start in foreign countries as they now do in Colorado. I guess there about only 5 or 6 million Danes in Denmark today ?
They do the same as we now hear Alaska is doing, pump and sell oil (from the North Sea in this case) with contracts from the Danish Government to companies such as MAERSK, the worlds largest owner of containerships (also Danish, they bought Sea land Containers also from us) and now also oil producers with platforms in the North Sea.
As a result from this Denmark has no foreign debt, has the best Healthcare system, (you do not have to apply and perhaps get rejected due to previous illnesses) all Danes are covered. And the profit from the oil production goes back to all Danes as income tax reductions.
MAERSK has leased containerships to our government to feed supplies to Iraq. They had to be repainted in battleship grey.
If little Denmark can do it we should be able to, as Americans, to make the US a profitable country again.
I remain American and hope for some good leadership to regain world status and erase our foreign debt to the benefit of all Americans.
Who can lead us? Right now we have only 2 choices.
I am not sure about who it should be, but are these 2 choices our entire great nation can offer to us?
We need leadership that has the same ability to lead as our great American corporations.
Where do you find a pool to select from?
Does it matter if it is Republican or Democrats?
They have too many irons to grind between them, and most are what they are, due to traditions.
Is there some way we could engage one of our great industrial leaders to a contract to run our great country with no bias to any party?
Lead the country and manage it as if it was a great corporation and make ends meet to the benefit of all citizens?
Corporations do not declare war in the same way countries do.
They make provisions for competition by other means, such as using new marketing tools, and they do not kill each other.
Look at Microsoft? They have conquered the world by using their brains.
Let us hope that the best person wins, we need an energetic leader to get rolling.