Grab Bag Help
An Earnest Plea for Lots of Money
Dear, Dear Viewer,

Just like those wonderful folks at PBS, I hate to eat into your valuable time with pleas for operating funds, but since Harrison Ford's restraining order kicked in, I have been left with no other recourse.

Do you understand the expense involved simply in maintaining a premium quality site? Just lately my blatherings have grown so extensive that I've been forced to increase disk space, meaning that that I'm now shelling out nearly $12 per month to keep Wx4 on the air free of advertisements! Yikes!

And what about all of those unpaid hours that I spent photographing trains, so that I could lovingly place pictures on this site? I recall a day in 1967 when, at an ungodly 6:00 am, I was tempted to roll-over and go back to sleep, but "NO!", I said to myself, "E.O., you've got to get up, dagnab it! Your Internet friends are depending upon you to bag those shots of the Lark."

And what about the heartache connected with constructing a site? Example 1) "Jeeze, I lost valuable sack time for these crappy Lark photos?" Example 2) "Y-E-E-O-W! I just sat on my pizza!"

So, given the onerous financial burden and my selfless efforts in your behalf, whaddaya say that you kick-in a few bucks to show your appreciation and alleviate your guilt about being a freeloader?

As an incentive to support this world-class site, Wx4 offers a series of "thank-you" gifts, based upon your pledge amount:
  • A gift of $25 will allow me to thank myself with a cheap bottle of bourbon.
  • A $50 pledge will get me a higher-quality bottle of bourbon, plus crackers and cheese.
  • A $100,000 offering will allow me to retire in Tahiti!

Don't delay, folks! I'm desperately sober here, and this frigid California weather's been aggravating the old bursitis something fierce!

Wx4 makes sponsorship just as easy as being mugged. Just email us your bank account and PIN numbers and we'll withdraw your specified amount for you. Now, what would be easier than that? Our special sponsorship pledge address is: imamark@wx4.org

Thank you and God bless!
- E.O.

late 2012 update: Considerable of water has gone under the bridge since I penned this plea in 2003, and I've been forced to pull in my horns regarding quality control* and planned upgrades, because so far none of you cheapskates has anted-up a single bleeping dime. My Tahiti retirement plans have gone up in smoke - I've had to settle for Hawaii instead. Bummer! And do you know how much booze costs in Hawaii? Financial restraints require me to drink bourbon of such low quality that it makes hair grow on my toenails.

*Note that quality has suffered so much that I am now mixing metaphors.