Why I can't stand Verizon.

A few years back they convinced me to get FIOS. I got it for the faster internet speed but they conviced me that it was a good thing to upgrade my phone system to fios as well. Ok, so they forgot to tell me that the old copper wire system would still work in a power outage but that fios would not. But hey, Fios comes with a cool battery powered back-up system that will run your phones for about eight hours after the lights go out so I did not sweat it too much. But nooooooooo.....Now after two years the battery has died and the dang box in the basement beeps all the time to let me know that I need a new battery. I called the nice folks at Verizon. (20 minute wait) and the guy there told me that I am responsible for replacing the battery and it only comes with a one year warranty. You mean to say that this battery back up which has only come into use one or two times (and was of no use when the power went out for a week) now has to be replaced on my dime. And get this! The battery cost a cool 100 bucks if you order it from Verizon! ( You can go to Radio Shack and get one for much less). The big queston for me is am I going to have to replace this thing every other year? I am sure that this stuff is all in the agreement that I signed. You know the terms of service agreement that comes with everything you buy these days. I am sure most of you read these things but I somehow neglected to do so. Right now, I am thinking that there is somebody in the marketing department at Verizon who needs to come get my dead battery and shove it up his........... Oh, never mind.

Going Green Redux-Refrigerators

(article written by my wife, Elizabeth)

In Montgomery County, approximately 1/3 of our greenhouse gas emissions come from our homes. Refrigerators use the most energy out of all home appliances. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, pay close attention to your refrigerator. According to Pepco, a refrigerator purchased prior to 1993 often uses more than twice the energy of a new ENERGY STAR qualified model. On average, a unit from that era costs over $50 MORE per year to operate than the latest efficient models. Models from 1980 and earlier are estimated to cost an ADDITIONAL $150 to operate annually!
Excess use of energy and the wear and tear on your wallet can really add up. Utilities in some parts of the US and in other countries are actually paying customers to get rid of these old refrigerators. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any references to this kind of “cash for clunkers” in Maryland. However, many new refrigerators do qualify for special energy star rebates.
If you are keeping that extra refrigerator or freezer around simply for convenience, think this through very carefully. We all really do not to be paying attention to how much energy we use. And take a close look at Pepco’s Home Energy Savings details to determine what you should do about the refrigerator in your kitchen. Go to http://homeenergysavings.pepco.com/md/faq#refrigerator .
Your neighbor is not going to peek into your home to see what you are doing – and neither will this editor. But all of your neighbors will benefit when we all take steps to reduce our impact on our fair planet. AND – KEEP THAT REFRIGERATOR DOOR CLOSED!

Silver Spring Stage-a good cheap date.

Elizabeth and I have been to a number of performances at the Silver Spring Stage over the years and have always had a great time. Located in the lower depths of the Woodmoor Shopping Center in Four Corners, the SS Stage is an all volunteer troupe with a long history of providing excellent community theater. Tickets for adults run around twenty bucks which is a pretty fair bargain in today's market. We have never been disappointed by a show there and there is not a single bad seat in the house-primarily because it is a pretty small venue. We love it and you should see it for yourself.