Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Whompers 2009 Spring Tour

Announcing The Whompers 2009 Adirondack Spring (Mud Season) tour to take place April 16-18. The Whompers will begin their tour Thursday, April 16 at 9PM at Paul Smith's College, where they will warm up for the weekend with an hour of whomping abandon. The tour continues Friday, April 17 8PM at the BluSeed Studio in Saranac Lake for an hour long set followed by an opportunity for all to jam with The Whompers. The 2009 Spring Tour culminates Saturday April 18 at 8PM at the Red Tavern in Duane, where The Whompers will entertain long into the night.

The Whompers play an upbeat and eclectic mix of good old time music and blues led by Chris Turner on Harmonica and Rachel Maloney on Fiddle. Other band mates include local talent Curt Stager, Kary Johnson, Michael Martin, Sue Grimm, and Kyle Murphy. Traveling musician Leo Lorenzoni rounds out the cast and crew.

So, whistle up the dog, strap on your whomping shoes, and join The Whompers this April 16 - 18.

Wet your Whompers Whistle at the Whompers Website. Practice your dance moves while you stream Whompers music across the world wide web! Visit http://ilike.com/artist/The+Whompers

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Middle Age Long Reflected

One day you wake up & notice you are about to turn 49, and you say to yourself "When did I turn middle-aged?" Yet, somehow, you still find yourself to be the youngster in the circles that you keep. Not by much, mind you. And reflections always catch you by surprise. It's not what you expect - more like looking at your parent through a window than at yourself reflected. You think more often about your mortality, contemplate your place in the world, and dwell on the past. Things you never accomplished loom larger than things yet to be accomplished. And then you think, with luck you may have 25 or 30 more years to live. What of those years? Can you still make your mark in a young person's world? And why are you wasting time being miserable or unhappy? There is no reward for sticking it out in an unpleasant, unrewarding situation. Life will go on and all will be the better for it. In the long run. Up until now, you've always trusted your heart and it worked out well. Follow your heart. Be well. Be happy. Good night.

Friday, March 13, 2009

More to Love - Sister's New Book

My sisters' new book, More to Love, is out and the reviews are stunning. Here are the product description:
More to Love features Elizabeth Patch's adorable illustrations and upbeat messages for the active & attractive, sassy & sexy, "More to Lovable" woman who lives her life to the fullest!
No diet plans to follow or lifestyle changes required.
No self-esteem questionnaires to take or visualization techniques to practice.
No sad stories of rejection, pain or depression.
No dull statistics about overweight or obesity.

Each page of More to Love is a zero-calorie "chocolate chip cookie for the soul", a sweet happy bite of positive imagery combined with a heartfelt affirmation, guaranteed to make you smile.

From the Author: More to Love is dedicated to every woman who has ever felt she was less, when she truly is more.

Please visit
elizabethpatch.com and moretolove.net for additional More to Love goodies!
 I couldn't be prouder!

 Go to Amazon.com and read the reviews and to buy the book.



Monday, March 09, 2009

Stamps.com - A REAL Pain in the Ass!

I used to be a customer of STAMPS.COM and I am here to offer a warning. They SUCK! And here is why . . .

Stamps.com allows you to create and print postage for a nominal monthly fee. You sign up for stamps.com on-line through a fairly simple process. But the ONLY WAY to cancel your account is to call the idiots on the phone, allowing them to continue to charge you a monthly fee even when you stop using them.

About six months ago, I figured out I wasn't using the service enough to warrant the $5 per month baselin it was costing me, so I logged into my account in order to cancel it. There was no way on-line to cancel the account, so I sent them an email. They replied that I had to call them on the phone "for security reasons" in order to cancel the account. Not having the time or inclination to listen to their retention pitch, I fired off a nasty email and continued on my way. Fortunately, the credit card I was using for the account was no longer valid.
Stamps.com has been sending me monthly statements, adding $5 each month, along with a notice that I need to update my billing method since my credit card is no longer valid. So I suppose if I was dead, they'd keep charging me, too.

In our LATEST round of emails, they started quoting their service agreement which now states that "all account cancellation requests must be submitted to our Customer Support department by telephone. Our cancellation policy is in place to ensure the security and privacy of your personal and financial information." Pretty funny considering they had no qualms about security when I signed up on-line! What a BUNCH OF BULLSHIT!

In all this time, they never bumped up my request to someone who might actually give a damn about customer service or their company image. So, in keeping with my last threatening email to them, this is my campaign to spread the word about why STAMPS.COM SUCKS!Stamps.com sucks. Use their service at your own peril! PLEASE ADD YOUR BEEFS TO THE COMMENT SECTION!

Oh yeah, one more thing:

STAMPS.COM SUCKS!

(Hey, I've TRIED to resolve this in a civilized manner)

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Impatience

All my interests, all my hobbies, all my talents - I just don't have the patience to become renowned in any one area.

• Environmental/Lakes/Adirondacks
• Music
• Photography

Lost talents, lost expertise. Reality? This just isn't the age or culture for a renaissance man. 

Friday, March 06, 2009

Unusual Warming

A cold winter rain falls from pearlescent clouds.
Bare branches rattle in the breeze. 

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Sunny, Melty

A new day:
bright | white | blue
sunny | melty

The same life:
painful | stark | lonely
optimistic | soluble