CAUTION: In the event of any mental health commitment proceedings, the undersigned disavows authorship of the following.
A number of thoughtful and/or curious visitors to KATZ.US have written asking who is responsible for this site and "why?".
It began with my concern that I couldn't change my ISP (Internet service provider) without changing my e-mail address. So, about five years ago, I decided to register a domain to establish a permanent forwarding e-mail address which I could use no matter how often I change my ISP. Katz.com, .net, .org. were taken. Lou Katz from Oakland, California owns Katz.com and has politely refused to sell (although intimating that if I offered something in seven figures he might reconsider). Then I got the idea to register TZ.com (rick@tz.com, cute, huh?). Taken and not for sale. So, I registered TZ1.com and my family has been using these addresses for years, with the e-mails forwarding to whichever account (AOL, college, work, etc.) each person was using at the time.
But there was an unanticipated problem. Some people confused TZ1 (one) with TZl (L). I tried to buy TZL.com to act as a safety net for incorrectly addressed e-mails but was unable to do so for a price which I considered affordable.
Then, the government released the .US top level domain for civilian registration. The first date for open registration was April 24, 2002, and was referred to as the ".US land rush". I bought into the rush and was fortunate to succeed in registering KATZ.US.
Since the host which was providing the e-mail services also provided web hosting services for the same fee, I decided to teach myself how to use FrontPage to create a web site. The Katz theme seemed appropriate for the name of the domain. Then, it seemed appropriate to offer to provide @katz.us e-mail addresses to other Katzes to offset some of the expense of the "operation". All this has happened in the last two weeks. Since I am a lawyer in my spare time, this means I have had no sleep for two weeks. Researching the content (thank you, Google) and finding Katzes to spread the word (KATZ.US is not in any search engines, yet, and how often do even Katzes search for "Katz"?) has taken countless hours. I'd have been much better off practicing law and hiring a junior high school student to scour the web for Katzes and sending the e-mails. But, this has been a labor of love (or something that a deranged person perceives as love).
If you like KATZ.US, tell your friends and relatives and come back often because new content is being added as often as possible.
Also, please write. It is great to hear that KATZ.US is being appreciated and is not a solo flight of fancy. And, yes, I appreciate the suggestions and constructive criticism, as well. Wherever and whenever I see an opportunity to make KATZ.US better, I will.
Best regards to anyone who has read this far!
Rick
Katz
South
Miami, FL
June 2002
P.S. (2004)
I try to keep political or controversial issues out of KATZ.US. However, in January 2004, I created a new web site as an outlet for my views and sarcasm. Please visit The Daily Rant. Thanks.