Don Ray Media LLC

04/11/2024

I’ve often been critical of U.S. foreign policy.
This time, however, I’m ashamed to be an American!
I thought we stood up for the oppressed around the world.
I was wrong.

15/10/2024

My wonderful friend Jasmine Sandhawalia wrote this eye-opening story.
This message is for her:

“Jasmine, you were my student so many years ago. I’m proud to have been your investigative journalism teacher. All these years later, you are teaching me about an historical tragedy about which I had known so little.

“And all of these years later, I’m more embarrassed that, only recently, I’ve come to learn how poisonous colonialism has been to so many millions of people.

We Americans are so tragically and embarrassingly ignorant!”

19/07/2024

Prices on EVERYTHING are rising despite a strong economy.
Everything trickles UP to the wealthy. George Carlin was right‼️

11/07/2024

Here's why, no matter how alone I may be, I can stay busy doing what others would be correct in saying is a waste of time.

OK, in going through boxes of junk I must disposed of, I find a postcard written more than 70 years ago.

Junk? No, this is an "adventure opportunity."

You might see a photo of a tourists' Dude Ranch. Me? I imagine Herman J. Mankiewicz locking himself in one of the guest cabins while he pecks away at the script for "Citizen Kane."

And I wonder what became of Mrs. Kate Pierce Taylor in Mississippi who received this card from May or Kay. A friend, neighbor, or relative maybe?

Here's the difference between me and all my neuro-typical friends -- in the wee hours of the morning when my speeding brain will not allow me to go to sleep, I'll take my own "expedition through time" and find some of the answers maybe.

I know what you're going to say, but this is the freak of nature I turned out to be.

01/07/2024

This has "Don Ray" written all over it.

I don't even remember making this video promotion 21 years ago.

Not surprising that the book it's promoting still remains unwritten.
It's the story of my stupid life.

Heck, I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be if I grow up.
I'm glad I didn't take any "advance" money from anyone.

But I'm still hoping to use the audio we collected as part of a podcast (hint, it involves time travel).

We still haven't completed the book, but plans are in the works for a possible podcast. In 1978, Don Ray and William S. Thomas organized a reunion of the sur...

03/06/2024

Here's a first-time opportunity FOR YOU!

Yes YOU! The one who stopped scrolling out of curiosity.

It's an all-night tour you'll never, ever forget.

I started giving what would later be called "Don Ray's Dazzle Tour of Los Angeles" way back in 1967 when I was a senior at Burbank High School.

It was a collection of really cool ("bitchin'" back then) places that my friends and family never knew existed.

And it wasn't anything close to dazzling. None of the places I took them were open for business -- not the typical tourist spots.

By the early '80s, it became a "must do" experience for my friends, their friends and even their friends and relatives.

Everyone who participated had to promise not to tell anyone where I took them -- they could only take them there themselves.

People would rent a van and allow me to drive them to these secret gems --but it started at about 10 p.m. and ended after the sun came up.

I never charged a penny for the tour.

In 1989, three reporters from KPFK-FM Radio took the tour -- tape recorders in hand. A few weeks later, they invited me to the station to be on the air when they played segments of the "Dazzle Tour."

Then, I was able to take calls and answer questions.

I just found the audiotape of that program and I'm providing a link to it below.

After you've experienced this audio tour, you too can take the actual tour in person -- but you have to promise to abide by the rules. You cannot tell anyone where you went.

No charge for the tour -- you and your friends must provide a van for me to drive -- and put gas in the darned thing.

Any night of the week is OK with me. (Psst. it's best if we do it on a weeknight -- you'll understand why during the tour).

Comments, comments, comments, please.

Please share it as well.

I'm eager to share my "Dazzle(less) Tour" with you.

Shared with Dropbox

20/02/2024

I can't resist sharing this account of a nightmare experience I had in Nigeria 24 years ago. I hope this makes you laugh just a little bit.
I was part of a team of journalists training Nigerian journalist on how to investigate corruption in an oil-rich country -- a country where the actual oil that foreign countries (such as the United States) -- or the profits from that oil do not trickle down to the people.

I hope you can enjoy this adventure -- or at least the photos.

We were late taking off from Abuja Sunday evening, so we didn’t arrive at the small airport in Yola until about 10 p.m. I was excited becau...

02/02/2024

My biggest scoop ever is now on line.

On a quiet Sunday morning at home in the San Fernando Valley, a freelance reporter got a call from an expert in child s*x crimes: Michael Jackson was under investigation. By the time the reporter’s story aired twenty-four hours later, the media feeding frenzy was underway.

25/12/2023

I took several days off when it comes to Facebook.

I’ve been studying the history of Palestine, Israel, and Zionism as if I were doing a Master’s thesis.

I’ve also just finished three books about hatred, about understanding our opponents’ experiences — so that I may be more empathic and not judge my opponents (a better word than “enemies”).

And I read more about our county’s horrible history of white supremacy, racism, manifest destiny, foreign affairs, corruption, corporate control, and world dominance on which we support the leaders of the the worst human rights abusers known to man.

Today I looked at Facebook for the first time in 3 or 4 days. I was able to more completely understand why some of my Facebook “friends” could believe the horrible things they believe — why they can justify the killing of innocent children.

In my heart, I forgive them for their outrageous beliefs — but still, I unfriended most of them.

Why? Because I don’t want them using MY Facebook presence to spread their ignorant views to others.

Oh how I wish that you or I could reach the loving places in their minds, but we cannot easily do that.

I will continue my very vocal protest of ANY person, nation, political party or organization that condones or justifies the killing of innocent children.

I hope that all of my non-confused friends will continue to reach the sane and loving parts of those we can reach.

Thanks so much for being open minded.

Merry Christmas — happy holidays — happy (peaceful) New Years.

07/03/2023

This is the first time GDR (Grumpy Don Ray) has gone to the dentist without me.

This is where I would sit patiently while they did stuff to his teeth.

He didn’t see me, but I was there today.

I’m always there with him.

I still look out for him.

18/02/2023

Catalina Ortiz tells the highlights of her seven decades with her husband, Morro Provencio. Members of Catalina's family watched this on November 9, 2013, at...

27/09/2022

Up on the roof — trying to finish before dark.
Successful.