For most of us in the US, the 4th of July is about celebrating our independence with BBQ, beer, and maybe the beach. While Independence Day is a fun day for family and friends, let’s not forget those who are making sacrifices by serving in the armed forces. It has to be difficult for them and their families.

On holidays like this, we should also keep in mind the men and women serving our communities as police officers, firefighters, paramedics…etc. These brave people (and their families) make sacrifices year-round so that we can be more safe, and sometimes it comes at a great expense.

To those of you currently serving here and abroad, thank you. I also want to thank those who have previously served this country. You are appreciated.

This isn’t really related to domain names, but I want to share information about a Kickstarter campaign created by domain investor Richard Nachum Kligman. The campaign is to raise funds for Mianzi, “the first luxury fashion line meeting the needs of the special needs community.”

You can learn all about Mianzi and what inspired it in the video embedded above. Kligman is seeking to raise $19,000 in the Kickstarter campaign, and he has already raised over $10,000 with 168 backers. There are just over two weeks remaining in the campaign, and hopefully he will reach his goal and be able to establish the fashion line.

Kickstarter is a great way to raise funds for a project, and I hope Kligman is able to reach or exceed his fundraising goal.

It was a late night for me last night, as I watched the Boston Bruins win game 3 of the NHL’s conference finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins in double OT. In between periods, I was doing some auction research and NameJet backordering, but my focus was on the B’s game. If you like hockey, you probably enjoyed watching the game last night.

I was a Bruins fan before I was a Red Sox and Patriots fan, but I’ve always been a big Boston sports fan.  Since moving to the Boston area late last year, I’ve been to 6 Red Sox games this season, and I have tickets to 12 more games (including the Afternic and NameJet meetup). I signed up for the season ticket waiting list several years ago, and I was fortunate enough to be able to get a partial season ticket package this year (they didn’t have full ticket packages available). I always hoped to be able to go to Fenway whenever I could, and I was lucky enough to marry a Red Sox fan who was happy to oblige.

I am a fair weather Boston Celtics fan, and I watch a good amount of Bruins games during the season. I never miss a New England Patriots game. I’ve also become a fair weather Arsenal football (soccer) fan as a result of watching games with my brother. If you ever want some “free” domain consulting, invite me to a Patriots or Arsenal game and we can talk business!

I assume most of you are similar to me and are passionate about one or more sports teams. What are your favorite sports teams?

First, I would like to thank Elliot for giving me this platform to discuss  an issue that has recently hit very close to home in the Domainer world.

My dear friend, Matthew Berrier, used to work for me at DNS.com (located in  Louisville, KY) until he left to start his own domain brokerage firm.  He  has spent the past year building his fledgling business and has working day  and night to support his family. Matthew had even begun teaching his  daughter, Brianna Berrier, about domains – so much so that she had acquired  some names of her own and had even started her own business.

Tragically, on April the 12th, Brianna passed away.  She was 13 years old.

With her passing, they are left with an infant child and 12 year old boy  with a single family income.

Along with the emotional burden they now carry, they’ve also been dealt a  massive financial blow. I spoke with Matthew and the cost of the funeral,  arrangements, and everything else is going to exceed $15,000.  Currently  they are in need of funds to help bury their little girl.

If you are able to make a donation of any size it would mean the world to  Matthew and his family.  BriannaBerrier.com has been setup as a memorial  site and also as a way to take donations.

You can make a direct PayPal donation to ourangelbrianna@yahoo.com  and  please visit the site BriannaBerrier.com  to leave an inspiring comment  to the family showing your support. You can also keep up with the donation  amount at BriannaBerrier.com/make-a-donation/.

Even if you cannot donate, leaving a kind word on the website would mean the  world to them.  Thank you for kind consideration. It is truly appreciated.