I have very mixed feeling about the Miss Universe pageant. On one hand, I think that the Miss Universe pageants have kept up with the times in that a focus is put on education, future goals, the importance of giving back to society and helping to make a difference in the world. In the old days it was pretty much all about looks- only!

However, I have mixed feelings because it still continues to put a huge emphasis on our young kids that “looks mean everything,” and that if you don’t have the perfect #10 body you won’t be the winner. Miss Universe pageant does not teach children good values and ethics about their own bodies. I would much prefer that my daughter, who’s interested in becoming an astronaut focuses on school work, science, math and being “just a kid” than spending countless hours, as a kid, learning modeling skills, practicing how to walk up and down runways, learning how to put make-up on at the age of 14, and being overly consumed with looks, looks and more looks.

In our neighborhood, I know a Mom who is literally pushing her elementary grade daughter into national dance competition. She lives right down the street, within walking distance, and is the same age as my kid. Never once, in 5 years, has this kid been allowed to have a play date after school, or a sleepover during the weekends. Why? Because she trains with a coach 3 – 4 HOURS per night after school, and then every Saturday morning has either a competition or more practice.

This in NOT healthy, and I don’t care what anybody says. This kid may succeed in life, she may become the national dance winner, she may be so trained at focusing and being persistent, and this entire childhood experience may open up more opportunities for her as a kid, but when it comes right down to it, this kid has forfeited her entire childhood. I’m a big believer and advocate in allowing kids to just be kids. As we age, we worry. There is so much trouble in the world, so much pressure to succeed, so much competition for getting into colleges, so much emphasis on making $$, that I still vehemently believe that kids should cherish their ONLY time in life to “just be a kid.”

Now don't get me wrong, it would be fun to be MISS PUERTO RICO, ZULEYKA RIVERA , afterall, she does get to wear a crown valued at $250,000. It’s a Mikimoto design, with 800 diamonds, totaling almost 18 carats in diamonds, 120 pearls South Sea and Akoya pearls, ranging in size from 3.0 - 18 mm. Design depicts the phoenix rising, which signifies status, power and beauty. But I still wonder how many birthday parties, sleepovers, bikeriding, and just plain "goofing off" she did as a kid growing up?

Posted by Leslie at 05:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Spread my wings and fly – I think NOT.

Honda’s recent announcement that they would team up with Piper Aircraft may be a suicide mission, waiting to happen. The decision by Honda to build a jet is a risky marketing ploy with strategic flaws. I question, very much, if this is a smart and strategic business move. Honda Corporation is a master at marketing, sales and distribution to your “everyday typical consumer.” To Honda’s credit, they are known for obtaining and achieving mass consumer appeal, identity and brand loyalty … all very valuable and extremely difficult to achieve in the world of business.

However, the people who will be buying small corporate jets are NOT the same consumers who have the bond with Honda. Heck, the decision to buy a corporate jet comes typically from the CEO or Chairman of a business, who typically is driving a much fancier car than anything Honda makes. Further, status, status, and more status (coupled with a high-end marketing ploy) is a HUGE determining factor as to whether a business decides to buy a plane or not. Taking it even one step further, there are companies who truly buy a corporate plane because it will help them be more efficient, close major transactions quicker, and secure more revenue if they (the executives) have a plane at their beck-and-call. But guess what, they still will be concerned with getting a “desirable” aircraft.

There is probably no greater status than owning a Bombardier Lear jet or a Gulfstream. Recently Bombardier celebrated the anniversary of its 300th Learjet 45 and 300th Learjet 60. Talk about tradition, brand awareness, and loyalty within the aviation circles. And in 2003, Gulfstream's G550 won the Robert J. Collier Trophy which was awarded for the greatest achievement in aeronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles.

Further, as I hate to say, Piper is a poor mans airplane. Not to sound too snotty, but it’s just not considered in anyway, prestiges or elite. Good luck Honda and Piper!!!

Posted by Leslie at 06:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After 16 years of knowing someone, and not seeing him for a few years, I guess it wasn’t politically correct to say, “Hey, you look shorter.” What the hell was I thinking?

Ok Leslie, I don’t know what happened, it just “came out of my mouth.” I totally insulted my friend. And I didn’t mean to. Thank God, he will forgive me, as I was the one who introduced him to his wife, and now they have 3 kids, are happily married and doing well in his forties.

You know how, with some people, you automatically feel right at ease? So comfortable, so close, such fond memories, such a long standing friendship… that no matter how much time has elapsed since you last hugged you feel as though you can say anything. My case in point.

Posted by Leslie at 05:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In a million years, I would not have expected Mike to be jealous. Mike works with us here at Catalogs.com, and has for some time now. He puts on a good act, by God, and attempts to act so cool, so “I could care less,” especially when it comes to relationships. Personally, I live vicariously through some of his amazing escapades.

But the other day, he told me a story that had my inside gut aching from laughter. Mr. Cool went to the bar with Tony, a really good-looking hunk (so I’m told). Tony is built with a 6 foot 5 frame, blond hair, a muscle builder with not an inch of body hair visible. They were at this bar together, and the women were swarming over Tony. It wasn’t even 9:30 pm and a woman approaches Tony, jumps on top of the bar, spreads her legs around him and starts to do a modified strip-tease dance on the bar. She then proceeds to tuck her phone number into her jeans, just below her navel, and encourages Tony to take her number.

As the story is told to me, Mike just stands there, drooling, and can’t believe what has just happened. It goes to show, male models get a rise from jealous men as well as sexy ladies. A few minutes later, a gorgeous blond comes up to Mike, and starts talking to him. He’s starting to feel better, beginning to think that his recent diet and exercise program is working, when within 10 minutes the blond asks, “So, is this your friend? Can you introduce me?” Mike is PISSED! He’s fuming, and asks this dumb blond (who probably is very smart) “So what, you’ve been talking to me just to get to my friend?”

Poor Mike, just when he thought he might get lucky.
The saga continues (as I’m chuckling to myself), as Mike begins to tell me about their adventures at the beach. This really peaks my attention, as I listen to Mike describe Tony’s pecks, his glistening tanned body, his bold and muscular feature
in a bathing suit, etc etc etc. Every head turned as they walked up and down the beach, drinks were bought all day for them, woman with #10 bodies literally throwing themselves at Tony.

And Mike, well, he was simply a spectator.

Posted by Leslie at 06:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I can’t believe school starts in 3 weeks! Our school district sucks by starting on August 14th. It’s as though; why not rob our kids of their childhood pleasures!

Anyway, I was at the beach this weekend and outside every shop were the sexiest, cutest bikinis and one-piece bathing suits – on sale 75% off! Being the shopper that I am, I had to buy 4 bikinis. There was this one that had navy blue bottoms with white trim, and then the bikini top was red & white on one breast, and solid blue on the other. It caught my attention because it did NOT look at all like July 4th swimwear (which I think is so stupid to buy a swimsuit and only wear it 1 day out of the year!)

So what did I do, I looked at my wonderful husband (who was carrying the wallet – I left mine at the house) and said, “But honey, it’s 50% off which means we’ll really save $$ in the long run.” Ladies … it works every time.

My secret -- just make sure you NEVER cut the tags off because 9 months from now, when I open up my summer wardrobe dresser draws and find brand new swimsuits, shorts and sundresses – never worn with the tags still on—I makes me feel like a million bucks (having only spent half of it)! I love the feel of having an entirely new wardrobe. I find that most summer styles (especially bathing suits) can be worn from year to year without anyone knowing any different. Unlike fall fashions with suits, dresses or jeans which are much more important to be “in-style” with the latest trends. For shopping on-line, I love the deals at Carabella (Free Shipping on orders over $100) and I also love the summer dresses at Chadwicks of Boston.

Posted by Melody at 05:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Most kids hate school uniforms. They’re ugly, have no style, are too plain, and everyone looks the same. Many kids complain, “It is stiffening my creative being.”

My kids, however, learned how to turn ugly, boring school uniforms into cool clothes while still playing by their school’s rules.

1st transformation: Eye-catching Belts. Choose something with rhinestones, beads, braided leather, copper buckles, turquoise buckles, even cowboy buckles!

2nd transformation: Hair Accessories. Beaded, sequined, jeweled headbands, hair barrettes and tiebacks can really add spunk! Heck, my kids have even used 8 matching barrettes all in a row.

3rd transformation: Socks. In specialty stores they knit the tops with jewels and really cool braiding. Or for younger kids, try a superhero or kitty cat or Disney character on the top bands of the socks. Active Girls has a great sale on Paul Frank socks!

4th transformation: Jewelry. Some schools are more lenient than others when it comes to necklaces, earrings and bracelets. Go all out --- explore the possibilities. Get matching necklaces and earrings … it can make quite a statement with teenagers. Delias specializes in teenage, awesome inexpensive jewelry.

5th transformation: Washable Tattoos. You may be pushing the “hot button” of your principal but what the heck, give it a try.

Posted by Melody at 05:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It’s a double edged sword – on one hand, I can’t wait to get my kids back into school … no more whining during the summer “I don’t have anything to do,” “I’m bored, it’s too hot outside,” “I just want to watch TV.”

On the other hand, as a parent, I dread the car pools, homework, deadlines, studying for tests, special help with book reports, school projects, etc.

But one thing we, as parents, all share is the dread of shopping for back-to-school supplies and uniforms.
As a mother of 3, I have found the ultimate answer!

#1 – Don’t take your kids shopping and don’t allow them ANY say in picking things out! The other day I was shopping for groceries and I saw the clerks setting up the back to school supply case. I was like a vulture, pecking feverishly through the boxes, yet to be placed on the shelf … until I found 3 rolling backpacks with 3 matching colored insulated lunchboxes. In less than 5 minutes, 3 kids had backpacks & lunchboxes, which shared my shopping cart with milk and eggs. No hassles, no fights, no screaming, “I want this one, I want that one.” And most of all … I saved time, $$$ and headaches.

#2 – Order basic supplies on-line and get FREE shipping delivered right to your door. How simple could this be? I called my kid’s school and asked the secretary to fax to my office (here at Catalogs.com) the 3 lists of supplies needed for each grade. I then went on-line to Staples and within 25 minutes had EVERYTHING all 3 kids need for school, and I never left my chair, never waited in line and never had 3 kids scurrying around grabbing stuff that they don’t need. I bought glue sticks, notebooks, composition books, duo-toned 2 pocket folders, pencils, erasers, pens, rulers, scissors, etc etc etc.

#3 – Invest in top-quality shirts which all your kids can grow into, and that will wash 300X. I LOVE Target and Wal-Mart, but let’s face it, after years and years of buying cheap, inexpensive polo uniform shirts … they fall apart and look like crap after 50 washings. Invest in top quality shirts that can be passed on to your younger kids. I like Eddie Bauer and Lands End and I love the dark colors (our school let’s you pick navy, hunter green or white.) Invariably the white gets too many stains that simply won’t bleach out.

Posted by Melody at 05:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My young son and I stand in line, holding our special promotional can of Coke which allows for 1 FREE 2-day pass into the Kennedy Space Center for a kid with an accompanying adult (a $28.00 savings). We look to the far left and gasp as we see the Rocket Garden, comprising 8 “original erected rockets” that have been retired. We look to the far right and see a life-sized replica of the space shuttle, with people actually walking INTO the shuttle to tour. And in front of us, a huge sign “The World’s Largest Space Shop.”

My son screams, “Look Mommy, a gift shop … let’s go here first!” As a parent I’m mortified, horrified and wonder “what the hell is wrong with my son?” Then I realize that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – i.e. Confessions of a Shopaholic. Like duh, my blog says it all and I’m wondering why he likes to shop!!!

I blame myself, but I also blame television, marketing executives (of which I, too, am one) and public relation specialists. Today’s kids thrive on “stuff.” My hat goes off to the company that manages the entire Kennedy Space Center. To my surprise, every free publication and schedule clearly states that “no government funding is used to support or run the Kennedy Space Center.” It is contracted out to an independent company that knows how to sap dollars from consumers.

Let me give you 2 examples: Every single main attraction has its own gift shop adjacent to the exit. You cannot exit without going through the gift shop. My guess is that approximately 3500 ***different*** items are sold. About 40 different t-shirts, my favorite being the t-shirt that says on the front

“Just what part don’t you understand”

V2=Vp=r1 x v1 x sin @1/Rp

Fd=Cd x P x (v2/2) x A

Nm=v/c

C=SQRT {k x R x T}

P=m x v

F=dp/dt

It's ONLY Rocket Science

(see below for the answers)

I HAD to buy this for grandpa, as he really IS a retired rocket scientist and will hopefully love this shirt. I didn’t care that I spent over $20.00 for it!

Another example was my sons favorite (which I made him pay $11.00 of his OWN hard earned $$$ towards the present). It is a modeling kit to assemble of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet carrying the space shuttle. That cost $19.99 but my son at least will appreciate it since he had to pay for ½ himself.

Lunch, did I tell you about my tuna fish pita sandwich which cost $8.99 (with NO chips or fries) and my son’s personal cheese pizza for $7.99. Our 12 ounce bottle of water was $3.00. Marketing and sucking $$$ out of consumers clearly is what funds the Kennedy Space Center. Not too mention the admission price.

But if you were to ask me “Would you go again, knowing how outrageously expensive it is?” My answer would be “in a heart-beat.” The education is invaluable, the quest for knowledge immense, and the hope for my daughter to be the 1st female astronaut on Mars in 25 years from today would make me the proudest Mom ever!

She has her graduation ceremony from camp tomorrow. I can’t wait to see the Mars rover that they built, and all the other cool science experiments that they learned. Did I mention that she even got to have lunch with Astronaut Gerald P. Carr, who commanded Skylab 4 (third and final manned visit to the Skylab Orbital Workshop) launched November 16, 1973, and concluded February 8, 1974. This was the longest manned flight (84 days, 1 hour, 15minutes) in the history of manned space exploration to date.

I can’t wait for my daughter to have credentials as those listed above, with the slight exception stating “She was the first women to travel safely and return from Mars.”

In case you are NOT a rocket science, the answers are:

Escape Velocity

To pin down a satellite's orbit in space, need to know the angle @ from the periapsis point to the launch point.

The drag Fc on a body is calculated by the equation.

Mach number is given by.

Thrust.

momentum, of a particle is the product of its mass and its velocity.

Posted by Melody at 09:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

3:30 AM, bzzzzzz, bzzzzz, bzzzzz and hundreds of sleeping children and parents vacate the premise, stumbling down 6 flights of cold, concrete steps. Five police squad cars arrive immediately, and 15 minutes later the 1 sole fire truck.

And this is suppose to be my vacation! Fast forward 1 hour and I’m trying to persuade my children why they should go back to sleep. After much trying, they sleep and me, Mom, can’t fall back asleep.

Was this just a teenager trying to show off, be cool and pull off a prank , or will that person eventually become a pyromaniac, as defined in Wikipedia. Either way, I simply know that I’m tired, frustrated and ready to go home to a quiet household

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyromania

Posted by Leslie at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am in total agreement with Alexander Kjerulf, Chief Happiness Officer of Positivesharing.com when he states that the customer is NOT always right – but I believer 90% of the time they are right.

Let me give you two 1st hand examples. I’m staying in Cape Canaveral for my daughter to attend the Kennedy Space Camp. The hotel puts us right next to the elevator, and my young children and I can’t sleep because, low and behold, 35 screaming, obnoxious teenagers check-IN at 10:00 PM (way past my kid’s bedtime) and we have to wake up at 6:00 AM to register for her first day of camp. I called downstairs to complain at 10:30 pm, then again at 10:55 pm, then again at 11:30 pm. Now I’m PISSED beyond belief. My daughter who will be attending camp is still up and I’m furious. I put my sweats on and go downstairs to bitch like hell. My only solace … you may speak with the general manager in the morning.

Fast forward to the next day … we have a new room on a different floor; the manager apologized profusely and told me that I would have first pick at available rooms. She went further to tell me that she would personally call the “chaperones of the high school basketball team" and states that "if rambunctiousness continues, they will be evicted by the sheriffs office." Will I stay here at this hotel again? You better believe it. This is my example of good customer service.

Example #2: My daughter last week was registered to attend basketball camp. Upon registering her, I “specifically” asked how many girls to boys would be in the camp, as it was co-ed teams. Upon registration I was firmly told 50%/ 50%. Guess what, 1st day of camp; I pick up my daughter only to see her head buried in her folded arms, CRYING!

Apparently she was it, 1 girl) with 8 boys (not a good scenario). Out of 75 boys in the entire camp, there were 8 girls. Not what I would consider a 50%/ 50% split. I immediately insisted on speaking with the OWNER (not the coach who let her simply cry, alone, at the end of a table). The owner apologized and said that tomorrow he would pull the 8 girls, create 1 “girls” team and that specific drills would be created just for the girls. He went further to state that if I still was not happy, I could get my $$$ returned, in full. I like this man, I now like his camp, and will definitely continue to send my son.

Posted by Leslie at 08:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Two (2) phone calls within the course of 1 day, and it were enough to make me want to have a stiff drink! Breast cancer – stage 3 -- with one friend, multiple sclerosis or brain lesions (we’re not sure – still) with the other. And both happening to woman under the age of 40!

It’s not important how “I” felt, or how devestated “I” was to hear of such problems. It’s not important how many calls I made, or how many contacts I was attempting to create through my vast network of doctors, surgeons and people in the field.

What truly is important is how my friends deal with bad news, disease and uncertainty.

This is where my story within today’s Blog begins. The other day we invited Julie to our home for swimming, dinner and drinks. Her husband, her kids (a boy, 6 and a girl, 8) came to our house to go swimming and have dinner. Not 5 minutes go by, and Julie asks me if I want to have a sneak peak under her hat.

Her gorgeous hair was gone, her head totally bare. Julie stating proudly that she was able to donate 12 inches of her thick, beautiful hair to Locks of Love, a charitable organizations that takes donated hair and makes wigs for children who have cancer and need hairpieces. I thought to myself how incredibly generous Julie was, and how she turned a negative experience into a positive one. It was interesting to note that her entire family accompanied her to the hairdresser to get her hair chopped off. Her 8-year-old daughter did not take it so well, and began crying hysterically, uncontrollably. Julie’s comment to me during dinner was, “It’s funny, as a Mom, I totally forgot about my sadness and my feelings of loss, and instead concentrated ONLY on helping my daughter get through this. Once I explained to my daughter that we were “donating hair” to help other children who were sick, she immediately stopped crying and was happy that we were doing something to help others.”

Though Julie already was receiving chemotherapy to shrink the tumors before surgery and even though she lost her hair, she looked great. She attributes her feeling of wellbeing partially to her complete change of diet. When diagnosed, she became thoroughly proactive, with her oncologists and her team of oncology nutritionists. She told me so many interesting things: such as, processed sugar is not good for people undergoing chemo. Who knew? She also told me about the benefits of eating only whole grains that sprout (like alfalfa sprout breads, barley bread) and she would ONLY buy organic vegetables, organic fruit and organic poultry & meat. FYI, Bulk Foods and Hodgson Mills sell mailorder organic food & ingredients.

I was so interested in what she told me about nutrition that I did some research and found that chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery can temporarily reduce tumor burden, but these therapies do not change the underlying causes of the disease. Comprehensive cancer treatment must include an aggressive nutrition component, which can increase life expectancy by 12 to 21 fold along with better chances for complete remission. According to Kathy Summers at HeatlhSmart Magazine Today, “Up to 80 percent of all cancer patients develop some form of malnutrition and about 40 percent of all cancer patients die from malnutrition, not from the cancer itself, so good nutrition is essential.”

I ran across an interesting write up on a book by Patrick Quillin, PhD, RD, CNS, clinical nutritionist at the Center for Advanced Medicine in Encinitas, Calif. Quillin, who lists hundreds of nutritionally oriented doctors in his book, Beating Cancer with Nutrition (Nutrition Times Press, 2001), recommends trying to find a healthcare team that will work together to meet your nutrition goals. As the former director of nutrition for Cancer Treatment Centers of America and organizer of three international scientific conferences on the subject, Quillin sees nutrition as a vital part of the process of regulating cancer, helping to reverse it, and counteracting the ravages of conventional treatment. “A well-nourished cancer patient can better manage and beat the disease and better tolerate conventional therapy,” says Quillin, who points out that while supplements can help, it’s more important to have good food than a belly full of pills.

I guess it all comes down to having a good medical team on your side—one that recognizes the importance of ALL aspects of your treatment.

Some helpful sites to get information on are:
The American Cancer Society
MD Anderson Hospital - Cancer Wise
National Cancer Institute
Center for Advanced Medicine
Association for International Cancer Research
The National Institute of Health

Posted by Leslie at 09:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Back in the year 2000, when Catalogs.com was just beginning to really take off, we had a bubbly, spirited and extremely funny sales rep working for us. She was fabulous … closed numerous accounts with her personality and incredible tenacity, and then tragedy struck. She was diagnosed with a disease that required surgeries, hospitalization and lots of medical expense. Back then; Catalogs.com wasn’t large enough, so we offered no health insurance and no benefits. She was forced to resign.

And then today, out of nowhere, 6 YEARS later, she responds to an employment ad we recently posted. Within minutes, I picked up the phone, had her in our office that afternoon, and re-hired her. My gut is still aching (it’s midnight as I blog away) from laughing with her during our interview today.

The funniest part was when she remembered the entire “scoop” on past and current employees. She holds nothing back, and reminded us about the crazy wives some employees had, the men wearing pony-tails who had no teeth, the drum rolling band player who never stopped beating on his desk with pencils, etc. etc. etc.

You know what makes me proud is knowing that through our growth, Catalogs.com now is a thriving, successful business . . . able to offer health insurance and even a 401K to our employees. It’s scary knowing that so many peoples lives depend on the success of something my husband and I started years ago, yet, at the same time, it is a most rewarding feeling knowing that through our tireless hours and work, we are providing for many, many families. Entrepreneurs should take heed … if you don’t put your employees livelihood and families first, you won’t have a solid company.

Posted by Leslie at 12:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For daughters and sons who yearn to become astronauts or engineers building rocket ships, . . . I have the PERFECT camp for your kids. NASA Camp Kennedy Space Center Kids camp.

My daughter (who is still in Elementary school) will become an astronaut. Since the time she was 4 years old, she had already shook hands with 3 real, live, breathing astronauts. She had already been interviewed by a local TV station and recited proudly as she stared straight into the TV camera, “ Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune -- and maybe Pluto.” She knew then, as she knows now … that she has a passion for space exploration and astronomy.

And so, every year she has begged her father and me to send her to the real McCoy, the real NASA space camp. This summer is it, and I can’t wait.

In a few weeks, I will be taking off one full week from Catalogs.com (as co-owner I do get some privileges) and heading to Cape Canaveral. I figure while she’s at camp, I can hang with my younger son, play, enjoy our precious one-on-one time that the youngest sibling NEVER gets to enjoy alone with mommy. And all the while, I fully expect to sneak away and keep my loyal readers up-to-date on each days adventures as seen through my daughter’s eyes.

How do I begin to describe my daughter’s excitement? She’s read and researched a ton of information; her entire re-decorated bedroom is full of 27 pictures of nebulas, constellations and galaxies, which we bought from Astrographics. Then, with just a little help from “Mom” we typed flowing descriptions of each galaxy, nebulae and constellation and matted the description alongside each picture. Entering her bedroom, you would think you’ve stepped into a space museum.

Posted by Leslie at 12:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am PISSED! Rarely within my blog do I talk about negative items. Shopping is my passion, hence … Confessions of a Shopaholic. But I still have other passions, and let me tell you—I’m passionate about providing my children with musical culture. That’s why I became involved in the Weston Philharmonic Society (WPS)

And NOTHING infuriates me more than sneaky politics and competitors trying to “crush” our philanthropic attempts.

Get this, this year I’ve been nominated as the Executive Vice President for Membership. I decided (given that I own an Internet company) that I think the WPS should have a website. Hence, I secure several bids from outside consultants to build, design and operate our website. I immediate authorize the firm to buy our domain name.

Guess what… a conniving, arrogant and ruthless competitor decides to BUY our name. Not just one name, but the org, .net, .com, and then also the shortened version of our name, they bought the .org and .net. FIVE (5) names in total that have NOTHING to do with their own chamber orchestra.

Ha Ha ---- they screwed up and forgot to buy the .com. I’m at the airport, offering my personal AMEX card to quickly secure the ONLY name remaining.

What is wrong with people? I know exactly what their intent was … to capture our traffic, hijack it and point it to their own competing website. How dare them!!! Already, action is underway to regain our rightful non-profit names.

And all I want to do is provide for in-school educational programs and musical culture to Weston. I’d love to know what YOU think I should do.

Posted by Leslie at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)