:: Captain's Personal Blog ::

Stardate: Sunday, May 18, 2003

At long last, an update!!!!

For those who've been waiting (and I'm sure you just might be out there, somewhere,) I have finally updated My Online DVD Collection.

For those who don't know, there is a link available to my collection, in the links section located on the left.
:: J 3:27 PM [+] ::
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TIME FOR THE UNVEILING

After getting the introduction out of the way, and my first post, it's now time to unveil my new blog:
Jason's Junk

I'd tell you what it's about, but that would just spoil things, now wouldn't it? Get your butt on over there!!!! :)
:: J 8:24 PM [+] ::
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Probably the weirdest title for an article I have ever seen in my life.
And probably one of the weirdest articles, to boot!

The Trouble with Shatner's Semen
:: J 10:06 AM [+] ::
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WOO HOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
William Shatner's "Lucy in the Sky" voted worst Beatles cover
From the AP Wires
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(London-AP) -- Former "Star Trek" star William Shatner's version of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" has been voted the worst Beatles cover of all time.
The British digital T-V channel Music Choice asked viewers to vote for the worst Beatles covers, to mark the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' first number-one hit "From Me To You."
Jim Carrey's version of "I Am the Walrus" came in fourth. Carrey sings the song on the Beatles tribute C-D "George Martin: In My Life."
Damon Hill's version of "Drive My Car" is second, followed by a cover of "Help" by Bananarama with French and Saunders. Wet, Wet, Wet's cover of "With a Little Help from My Friends" came in fifth.
:: J 12:12 PM [+] ::
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Details on UNOBTAINIUM LTD. Case:

First, for those who are unfamiliar with Unobtainium Ltd., here are the facts:

-Unobtainium Ltd. was a company owned by Rick Cigel, that specialized in movie prop reproductions
- Among the items offered by Unobtainium were Spider-Man props (Pumpkin Bombs, Newspaper reproductions, Goblin Staff), Men In Black 2 props (Noisy Cricket, J's Gun and Neuralyser) and a clone of the 33" filming model of the Starship Enterprise from STAR TREK
- The 33" Enterprise came in three versions-- Standard, Deluxe (with functioning lights) and Ultimate (lights, sound and signed by William Shatner.)
- Each of these models cost in excess of $1,000 (with the possible exception of the Standard model)
- These models were first advertised around October of 2001
- As of this posting, I know of only a few people who ordered these models who actually received them, or, if they did, they were either broken, in the process of braking or in some other way defective.

Now, the bad news. After my posting on May 1st, I received formal notice in the mail of Unobtainium's filing for bankruptcy. Here is what the document states regarding Chapter 7 bankruptcy: (excertped from for B9B - 07/02)

- A bankruptcy case under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code (title 11, United States Code) has been filed in this court by or against the debtor(s) listed, and an order for relief has been entered.
- Prohibited collection actions are listed in Bankruptcy Code 362. Common examples of prohibited actions inlude contacting the debtor by telephone, mail or otherwise to demand repayment; taking actions to collect money or obtain property from the debtor; repossessing the debtor's property; starting or continuing lawsuits or foreclosures.
- There does not appear to be any property available to the trustee to pay creditors. You therefore should not file a proof of claim at this time. If it later appears that assets are available to pay creditors, you will be sent another notice telling you that you may file a proof of claim, and telling you the deadline for filing your proof of claim.

Now, as that Rick A. Cigel was a former California attorney, it should come as no surprise to anyone involved that he has taken legal action to avoid repaying those who have given him their faith on the matter of this transaction.

Anyone who has had dealings with Unobtainium Ltd or Rick Cigel, and has not received satisfaction on their purchase -- The above probably pertains to you. According to the form, "any questions or information relating to bankruptcy fraud or abuse should be addressed to the United States Trustee, 725 South Figueroa St, 26th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017."
:: J 10:54 AM [+] ::
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Unobtainium Ltd. is a SHAM

Here is a mini-timeline of my recent dealings with UNOBTAINIUM LTD.

On MARCH 3, 2003, I e-mailed Rick Cigel, owner of Unobtainium Ltd, and faxed him a copy of a letter requesting a refund on my order. As that it had been about a year and a half since I had placed my order, my request was simple. I had not received a complete and intact ship and was asking for a return on my money until such time as they were ready to ship. My feeling was that I could do other things with that money (including collecting interest and paying bills) and that I would be more than happy to reinvest with them when they were ready to ship.

After not hearing from them for a few days, I called their office in California. I spoke to a gentleman named BARRY who took down my information and said that he would set up a refund for me. One week later, no refund appeared on my credit card. I called my credit card company and was told that I should wait until the end of the month to get the refund, but that they could do nothing since it had been more than three months since my purchase.

At the end of the month, still no refund, and calls to Unobtainium went unanswered. Finally, midway through the month of April, Unobtainium Ltd.'s website went down, and was replaced with an announcement that they had gone out of business. Then, last week, the website returned with the following message:

"Dear Customers:
It is with great regret that we must inform you that Unobtainium Ltd., a California corporation, filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on April 7, 2003. There were several factors that the company simply was unable to overcome.
Many of you will receive formal notice in the mail shortly. Any issues regarding purchases and products must be handled in accordance with the federal bankruptcy laws. Some of the Enterprise customers will be receiving refunds and that process has been initiated.
We thank you for your business and your interest in our products. We planned to bring you the finest replicas of movie and television props, and we regret that the circumstances thwarted our plans.
Sincerely,
Unobtainium Ltd. "

Now I can't say that I believe that I am one of the people to whom they will be sending the refund, although I do feel worthy. The best advice I can think of, if you are in this position, is to find an attorney and get advice from them.

:: J 9:12 AM [+] ::
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