Is There Lead In Face Paint?

You may have seen the recent, highly publicized report by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics claims that there is lead in face paints. And yes, they tested professional makeup products like I and other responsible face painters use. And they found more lead than would be allowed in food. This is true. In fact, they found levels as high as 0.65 ppm of lead when only 0.10 ppm is allowed in candy. You know, the candy your kids are devouring while if they ingest any face paint it's only a trace amount from their lips. In fact, the FDA has no MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level) on lead in cosmetics because they recognize it's not a safety issue.

However, let's say you really want to know that the face paint on your kids is totally edible. It might comfort you to know that these products are highly pigmented professional makeup. They're not applied neat (undiluted). They are water based and mixed with water - how much water depends on the makeup brand. I am going to ignore the highest results - Alex face paints - because they're garbage - a toy that is impossible to use. No professional face painter is using them. The next highest is Snazaroo, at 0.56 ppm lead. I dilute Snazaroo at least 6 to 1 with water when using it - thus putting the product as applied to skin under the lead levels allowed in food. Even more, it's applied very thin since it is so heavily pigmented. Any amount eaten is minimal.

The product with the high chromium level is not used by any face painters I know. The nickel level of Snazaroo - 5.5ppm (about 1ppm diluted) is not significant. My research found that 40ppm nickel is the lowest content ever shown to cause an allergy.

These are materials in our environment. Yes, they'll end up in makeup. In this case, in levels that (as the makeup is used) are lower than those allowed in our food. This is not a real issue. This is a group with an agenda; and lots of sensationalist news agencies looking for a good story of danger being in the most unexpected place that'll boost ratings this Halloween. Have fun with face paint (just don't use acrylic/craft paints even if labeled "non toxic" and run from anyone who does! THOSE cause major allergies.) and I hope to see some of y'all out there :)

- Mark (who uses mainly Kryolan Aqua Color and Mehron Paradise - some of the highest quality and most respected theatrical water based makeup that for whatever reason wasn't included in these test results while no-name Chinese products were... I wonder why?)

Digital Television (DTV) in Kalispell

Here we are, four months after the much-publicized "DTV Transition" and to be completely honest, the situation is still extremely confusing for many people. This is largely because it was intentionally confusing. There are multiple kinds of broadcast television service - full power, Class A, Low Power (LPTV), translator, etc. Only full power stations were required to transition. Additionally, cable companies are not under any federal obligations regarding what system they use in their system.

Thus, on June 12th, a large number of analog television stations remained on the air! The ads proclaiming that "all TV is going digital" were never anything but lies (or at the least, the very constrained world view of city dwellers representing the major television stations). It was a campaign of misinformation created by the nation's full power TV stations who represent the vast majority of broadcast television viewing in the United States. All of THEIR TV was, indeed, going digital.

Here in Kalispell, we only have one full power station - KCFW 9 (NBC). This is the only station in Kalispell that was required to go digital and the only one that was on-air June 12th. KTMF (ABC) and KPAX (CBS) are full power stations out of Missoula that serve Kalispell through low power translators that were allowed to continue broadcasting in analog (and continue to do so). Additionally, PBS and TBN reach Kalispell via low power translators that continue to broadcast in analog.

By choice, KTMF and KPAX have launched digital translator stations (on RF channels 19 and 15, respectively) in Kalispell that also provide FOX and The CW (because you can put more than one video feed on a single digital RF channel thanks to digital compression). These were launched after June 12th, and a simple rescan of your digital TV or converter box may be all it takes to receive these channels. TBN has applied for a license to flash-cut their station to digital but has not done so yet, and I am unaware of the local PBS affiliate's future plans for their Kalispell translator. This means that if you wish to receive PBS or TBN at this time, you will continue to need to view these channels in analog. Your setup will determine how to do this, but if you need assistance with this setup please email me and I'll be happy to help you out!

This sounds great, but what if you've done a rescan, and all you're getting is KCFW-9, or if you're not getting anything, or if you're getting picture breakups? It's all about the antenna. Digital signals will provide a perfect picture or an unwatchable picture. If you had an analog picture with static, you will generally have a perfect digital picture as long as the static wasn't so bad as to render the picture almost unwatchable. If you had ghosting (technically known as multipath interference), you are in a much worse position. Ghosting is the enemy of digital television - it confuses the 8VSB receiver that American digital television uses. If you currently have an indoor antenna, and your issues are with KPAX and KTMF, I strongly recommend trying the famous Silver Sensor antenna- this antenna, currently sold by Philips - is the antenna that was used to prove to the FCC that 8VSB digital reception indoors was possible. Unfortunately, this antenna is designed for UHF band reception and is not designed to receive the VHF band where KCFW is located. However, for most people in Kalispell, KCFW is strong enough even a bare piece of copper wire will work fine to receive it, and thus all five stations will come through a Silver Sensor antenna.

If this antenna doesn't prove adequate, or if you'd rather have answers than randomly try things, then toss me a message and I'll be happy to provide you help with your DTV reception troubles - including site surveys (to determine what you can expect at your house) and dual analog/digital setups (to receive TBN and PBS in addition to the digital channels) - at mark@comicexpressions.com

Hello, Hello Facebook

I know, I know - it's been just over 24 hours since I suspended my Facebook account. I'm sure there's quite a large handful of you out there who had been placing bets that it wouldn't be forever, or even for very long. But my reasons for coming back are not the reasons that I imagine y'all were betting on. I'm not "addicted" anymore than any other communications medium is addictive. However, in the approximately 30 hours I was without a Facebook account, I realized something - Facebook is the ONLY way I was communicating with certain old friends who I do, in fact, value my friendship with. When I left Facebook, I wasn't just saying goodbye to the well-intentioned yet completely unfounded concerns and ideas of those who I barely know.

I was saying goodbye to a communications tool that has enabled me to maintain good friendships with people I've only met in passing in real life. People like Julie Bayer, who visited Montana from California a few times but I have otherwise only kept in touch with on Facebook. When I was driving through California this fall, I stayed with the Bayer family and they felt like best friends due to the communication and friendship that Facebook helps to support. People like Greg Kay, who I met at a family reunion once, and lives in Japan. Yet, despite the distance and lack of real-world friendship; has been a great friend and a trusted person to talk to in Facebook world.

These are just two examples of the positives of Facebook. Facebook also enables me to connect with other face painters, see and share ideas. It enables me to find resources I need - and it even saved me money on a hotel room in Las Vegas last month. Facebook is neither good nor bad. It's how you use it.

Finally, I realized the truth of a lesson Miley Cyrus learned a few weeks ago. Facebook isn't the problem - Twitter is. Sure, Facebook is how most people were reading my tweets - but my tweets, not my stuff on Facebook, were the cause of the negative environment that I wrote about in my last post. So don't be expecting tweets from me anymore. Will I leave Twitter and delete my account entirely? Nah. I follow people on Twitter and get quite a bit out of it, and I might tweet some completely non-personal, interesting stuff. Like a link to this blog post. But no more tweeting my thoughts and my random every move. That is the real problem.

Why I Said Goodbye...

Today, I said goodbye to Facebook

I didn't really delete my account, for Facebook does not allow that. I suspended it. If I choose to come back, good-old-Facebook-data-center will have my entire Facebook existence, list of "friends", everything all waiting there for me like a dog waiting for it's master to come home. Or like a master waiting for it's dog, I should say.

Why did I make that choice? Do I not see the value of Facebook?

First, I want to make it very clear that I see the value of Facebook. I see it as well as anyone, I consider myself media-savvy, intelligent, and computer literate. Also very social at times. Facebook has been an incredible tool for keeping in touch with old friends, meeting new friends, and making the world seem like a smaller place. It's been a place to virtually engage in activities impossible in real life - such as having heart to heart conversations with a guy from Japan I've only met once in my life and playing Scrabble with my aunt. It has the potential to be a great experience that expands your world view, strengthens the bonds of friendship and family, and encourages understanding and social interaction.

Sadly, it also has a deep dark side to. This side is best described as the removal of "let me process it with God" time along with the replacement of real, genuine friendship with one way condolences, concerns and thoughts. Or, in simple terms, the compression of the range of human emotion, feelings, and interactions into one-line-at-a-time writing. Feeling bluesy? Post a couple thought-provoking quotes from great leaders of our country's past or country songs... either way you'll get a handful of people who believe you're depressed, suicidal, down - anything but the truth that you just felt like that portrayed your thoughts in that instant. People who want to help and are well-intentioned, but have no true relationship with you or understanding of the complexities of your life. Good emotions face this same compression. One passing happy thought, and the peanut gallery that the full extent of your relationships has been compressed in to is reading like a cheer squad to provide ice cream and cake.

At first it's all good

When you start out on Facebook, it's great. Your friends are, well, your friends - the first people you're excited to talk to. But it grows. It includes everyone you work with, have ever met at a concert, seen anywhere. People you never had a real relationship with until Facebook. And this is where it becomes more damaging. These are the compressed relationships that fail to represent the full span and scope of one's human character. When your Facebook grows to that place - for me the breaking point of my sanity was at around 500 "friends" - it's no longer a tool to keep your strongest relationships strong. Instead, it's a tool to gossip about your own life. To spread random, one line snippets about your world that your 50 closest friends will understand and support you in the way you need, and the other 450 merely ensure that any semblance of a private life you once had is gone. And truly, I'm amazed I'm one to complain about a lack of privacy - I tell everyone who wants to hear anything. Just talk to me, I keep no secrets. It's the "just talk to me" part Facebook gets rid of. Talk to me, I love to talk. But looking at my wall... that's really impersonal in my opinion.

These are just my choices

I'm not saying Facebook is bad. I'm not even saying I won't be back in one form or another, sooner or later. But I am saying we need to look and ask ourselves if it is strengthening our relationships as we intended? Or is it merely providing a peanut gallery and one-line tabloid gossip about your own life - written by you, yourself? These are big questions, and only you can answer them for yourself. The lack of a Mark Uhde when you search Facebook today will tell you how I chose to answer them, at least for now. - Mark

It's a BlackBerry!

First of all...

Before I start this review I'd like to thank the great people at CellularOne for the amazing service I have had from them. I'd strongly recommend them to anyone needing normal voice and text phone service. Right now, unlimited voice and text is just under $40 for new customers ($35 for just voice). No contract, but you need to pay full price for the phone (there are tons of cheap GSM unlocked phones online but I don't know what they charge [if anything] for the SIM card you need if you don't buy a phone from them). I'd HIGHLY recommend it to the vast majority of people. Great price, great coverage, amazing service. You couldn't really go wrong for most use.

But I needed a smart phone

And more specifically, I need to be receiving my e-mail as soon as it's sent. It simply wasn't an option for me to be getting email later... it was costing me money. I had a few choices. CellularOne has BlackBerries and it was a choice. But it wasn't one that made a ton of sense...

CellularOne uses GSM technology (which I regard as far superior in design to the competing CDMA), but unfortunately they're still on classic GSM with EDGE data. This peaks at 144kbps. Alltel and Verizon are using EVDO Rev. A which peaks at 3.1mbps. Alltel is also cheaper. For what I need CellularOne would have cost $20 MORE a month than Alltel (since the 450 minute package wouldn't be good enough - my average use is under that but the base package you add the BlackBerry on to doesn't have rollover like I had in my 450 min ultimate package). Many of my friends are on Alltel - far more than CellularOne; AND Alltel gives me 7pm nights and 15 free non-Alltel calling numbers.

Unlike normal use, it made no sense to stay with CellularOne for data - 20 times the speed for a little LESS money if I went to Alltel - that just makes sense.

The BlackBerry Tour

I wanted an iPhone but couldn't wait for AT&T to be here, so I bought a Research In Motion BlackBerry Tour. It's a nice device. Amazing screen, great product in many ways. The keyboard is NOT as fast as the great predictive touch technology on the iPhone and iPod touch. The app selection is severely lacking. Sometimes the phone gets slow and laggy for no apparent reason (this is why the iPhone uses push notifications instead of allowing apps to run in the background). But overall, I see why they call them "CrackBerries"

Today, while I was working running lighting at an event I was engaged in an interesting debate on Facebook - Facebook comments being as tightly integrated as SMS messages... seriously. All in one inbox too. Then later, while shopping at Wal-Mart I was Google Talking with a friend in Billings who doesn't have a cell phone. And guess what, again - same message inbox and it felt JUST LIKE SMS. Perfect.

With one year contracts, an expected transition to AT&T here in Montana - a GSM carrier that will hopefully be running 3G GSM (UMTS), and a fast CDMA2000 1xEVDO Revision A network today - I just don't think you can go wrong with the BlackBerry on Alltel today. Just like you can't go wrong with CellularOne if you don't need a smart phone!

Oddness at McDonald's

Oddness at McDonalds
Originally uploaded by Markie's World

You never know what your experience at Wal-Mart will be!

I've had more than my fair share of bad Wal-Mart experiences. Medium things like being told by a CSM that I was doing something "the same as buying cigarettes for a little kid" when I tried to step in and help my 19 year old cousin buy an unrated (the same as R to Wal-Mart) DVD collection of old TV shows when he didn't have ID with him. That one I regret not at least complaining to Wal-Mart because the guy was overly angry, yelled, and slandered my character.

...and big things like having negatives deliberately destroyed in an attempt to get them to reprint horribly messed up pictures or refund my money (the machine calibration was way off, I simply stood there for about an hour politely telling people to look at their pictures before they paid so they didn't end up in my shoes - eventually they agreed to reprint the next day to get me out of there; BUT they also gave me back ruined negatives with tons of footprints and ground-in dirt on them).

However, today was not a bad experience. It was a good experience, just REALLY odd... I bought a Happy Meal at the McDonald's. $2.29 for the cheeseburger happy meal is a good value, and I wanted one of the toys - and the guy was willing to dig for the exact one I wanted (the little green frog from the Build-A-Bear toy set they have now). It was a good experience.

I just was left confused by the dilution of McDonald's brand identity and strict franchise agreements. Notice the tray liner? It's a mammogram ad. Not a McDonald's tray liner - no nutrition info on the back like a McDonald's one either; just a blank back. Notice the bag? Not a Happy Meal box/bag, or even a McDonald's to go bag. Notice the cup? Not a Happy Meal cup (but a bigger cup! so thank you!).

All Happy Meals being ordered at least today were served the same way. Nothing wrong with it, the food was still the same - and cheap at $2.29. Guy was polite and dug up the toy I wanted. Just confusing. McDonald's is so consistent and strict and everything-the-same-everywhere it felt as if the Wal-Mart McDonald's wasn't even really McDonald's?

Well, I guess that's just another page in the crazy world of Sam Walton... even McDonald's is influenced by it. P.S. Like I said it was a *GOOD* experience, NOT one of my Wal-Mart horror stories (which I do have!). It just left me scratching my head, since it was so un-McDonald's-like.

"No Gas Needed"? Thank you, Mr. Obvious

P250509_15.19
Originally uploaded by Markie's World

A few months ago, I snapped this interesting picture in my local Wal-Mart store. It was far from the ONLY bicycle with a "No Gas Needed" advertisement on it. I just picked a representative bicycle and I'm wondering why on earth this is a selling point? Has anyone ever seen a bicycle that DOES need gas (answer - no, because it's no longer a bicycle it's a motorbike). How is it a selling point? Are people stupid? Or are they merely wanting people to notice the sticker, think it's weird, take pictures of it, post it to the Internet and get their name out there? And in that case, am I merely playing into their plan?

I feel taken advantage of now. But so should the average American, who they believe is stupid enough to be more likely to buy a bicycle if they point out the fact it doesn't use gas...