Ah, back to cell phone service... the never ending complaint of my blog. CellularOne was great to me, aside from minor complaints. Alltel isn't bad, (though BlackBerrys have potentially deadly flaws). I sure can't complain about my Alltel bill compared to other service providers. But, recently, I have started to notice something not quite right with my Alltel bill.
First, the practice of fees that aren't taxes is ethically questionable in the first place. My Alltel bill has several of them:
$1.70 "Regulatory and Admin Fee" - "This fee helps Alltel recover costs incurred by the company to provide government mandated services and complete calls to and from other carriers' networks. This fee is set by Alltel and is not a tax required by law."
$0.35 "E911 Carrier Cost Recovery" - "This fee is charged by Alltel to recover its costs associated with the construction, maintenance and upgrades of 911 services and related facilities on its network not otherwise reimbursed through state or local E-911 funds. This is not a tax required by law."
There's $2.05 in "not a tax required by law" fees that are buried in fine print and not in the advertised price. Why doesn't that violate any truth in advertising laws? Additionally, there is a ten cent "deaf surcharge" that has no description relating to who is charging that.
But, that's not why I write today. We've all known for a long time that carriers unethically bury the costs of doing business in hidden fees instead of raising advertised prices. What they don't mention is that these fees are PER LINE. That means that each $9.99 add-a-line has $2.05 in non-tax fees (plus a $1.00 State/Local 911 fee, a $0.10 deaf surcharge, and Federal USF contribution). The result? Each additional line is much closer to $15 than it is to $10.
However, the one that's REALLY getting to me is that I have a *data card* line - provisioned only for the data card with no voice or SMS services whatsoever. Yet, it's still charged the $1.00 State/Local 911 Fee, the $0.35 "E911 Carrier Cost Recovery" fee, and the $0.10 "Deaf Surcharge."
I'm paying $1.45 for 911 and TDD (Telephone Device for the Deaf) fees on a product that could never call 911. That goes beyond normal business practice and into the realm of completely unethical. Maybe I should be able to sue if I get stuck somewhere and only have my data card and can't call 911 on it - after all, I did pay for that service :-) .
So, I did what all consumers should do when they're upset about these practices, I filed a complaint with the FCC. Today I got a phone call from a gentleman whose name I cannot remember in executive relations. He had a bit of an attitude and said if I don't like it, I should write to my state congress encouraging them to pass a law to ban these fees. He said "the state of Montana allows us to charge those fees." That just got to me. He also said "we don't differentiate between a data line and a phone line" - well, they sure do on pricing. My data line is about $40/month - a normal phone line is about $10/month.
What's next? I think I'll take the Alltel representative's advice and write to my state and federal representatives urging them to pass laws putting a stop to these unethical billing practices once and for all.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
An Open Letter to Martin Bell
This is an open letter I wrote to Martin Bell, Chief Operating Officer of Greater Clark County Schools (in Indiana), regarding his poor treatment of a girl who was handed a mixed amphetamine salt (Adderall) pill and who handed it back saying she didn't want it - then told the truth when questioned if she knew anything. The moral of the story? Lie. Because you'll get suspended from school if you do the right thing. Or just take the pill, because you'll get suspended even if you don't. I'm not sure exactly what this guy is trying to teach kids...
Dear Mr. Bell,
My name is Mark Uhde and I am an Internet blogger and a children's entertainer - as well as a Christian children's ministry worker. I try to keep up with issues relating to fair treatment of children in America today, civil liberties, due process, etc.
You, sir, as I'm sure you're aware the national - and even international - media has made everyone aware, have become the laughingstock of our nation's education system due to your apparently inept handling of the Rachael Greer case. You stated that if you're not strict about your drug policies, no one will take you seriously. Wrong, sir. If you punish a girl for saying no to drugs, then openly and honestly telling exactly what happened, no one will take you seriously.
What you need to realize is that incompetent handling of a girl who just said no - as kids are taught to do - and when later questioned, told the honest and complete truth of the situation - will not prevent drug use. It will cause it. If I was a child living in your world, the next time, I'd probably be tempted to just take the pill - because hey, the I'd be punished either way, right? I'd probably want to see what it was about if I knew I'd get in trouble even if I refused it.
Our world is falling apart. Our children treated like hostages and criminals against themselves. Our adults treated with the utmost suspicion when they try to help kids. People sued because they failed to warn about every possible risk (like coffee being hot). And guess where it all starts? Situations like this. People who punish a girl for making the right choice, refusing drugs, and being honest.
I hope that you make a full and complete apology to Rachael Greer, and I would also encourage you to address the children of the nation in a speech APPLAUDING Rachael for making the right choice and just saying no to drugs. Maybe even get her to speak at an event where she can talk about how she did the right thing and refused drugs even though it meant she would be punished and would face national media attention for it.
It's the least you can do - for Rachael - and for all the other children who try to make good choices and fall victim to incompetent zero-tolerance policies that punish them for making good choices.
I pray you take the time to read this letter, to open your eyes to the consequences of YOUR actions, and to act in a manner consistent with the long-taught and cherished messages of "just say no" and "honesty is the best policy." Because, if you do, children like Rachael will learn to make good choices - which will lead to a better future for all children.
Blessings,
Mark
Dear Mr. Bell,
My name is Mark Uhde and I am an Internet blogger and a children's entertainer - as well as a Christian children's ministry worker. I try to keep up with issues relating to fair treatment of children in America today, civil liberties, due process, etc.
You, sir, as I'm sure you're aware the national - and even international - media has made everyone aware, have become the laughingstock of our nation's education system due to your apparently inept handling of the Rachael Greer case. You stated that if you're not strict about your drug policies, no one will take you seriously. Wrong, sir. If you punish a girl for saying no to drugs, then openly and honestly telling exactly what happened, no one will take you seriously.
What you need to realize is that incompetent handling of a girl who just said no - as kids are taught to do - and when later questioned, told the honest and complete truth of the situation - will not prevent drug use. It will cause it. If I was a child living in your world, the next time, I'd probably be tempted to just take the pill - because hey, the I'd be punished either way, right? I'd probably want to see what it was about if I knew I'd get in trouble even if I refused it.
Our world is falling apart. Our children treated like hostages and criminals against themselves. Our adults treated with the utmost suspicion when they try to help kids. People sued because they failed to warn about every possible risk (like coffee being hot). And guess where it all starts? Situations like this. People who punish a girl for making the right choice, refusing drugs, and being honest.
I hope that you make a full and complete apology to Rachael Greer, and I would also encourage you to address the children of the nation in a speech APPLAUDING Rachael for making the right choice and just saying no to drugs. Maybe even get her to speak at an event where she can talk about how she did the right thing and refused drugs even though it meant she would be punished and would face national media attention for it.
It's the least you can do - for Rachael - and for all the other children who try to make good choices and fall victim to incompetent zero-tolerance policies that punish them for making good choices.
I pray you take the time to read this letter, to open your eyes to the consequences of YOUR actions, and to act in a manner consistent with the long-taught and cherished messages of "just say no" and "honesty is the best policy." Because, if you do, children like Rachael will learn to make good choices - which will lead to a better future for all children.
Blessings,
Mark
Friday, March 5, 2010
Testing UV Makeup
Tonight, I decided to do something much needed. Give a good, thorough, blacklight testing of UV makeup. Photography of the true results is, sadly, nearly impossible due to white balance issues. With that said, this photo is a good representation of the pure, unmixed, colors.
The butterfly at top is made of Wolfe FX makeup. The body is UV clear (NOT really clear unless applied VERY thin). The wing is a neon rainbow cake.
the bottom set of swatches are Kryolan AquaColor UV-Dayglow colors. From left to right: blue, purple, pink, orange, yellow, light green, and green. Light green is a pointless color for blacklight work. A pale, but much less intense green. Mix normal green with white - I'd expect the exact same result.
As you can easily see, the Kryolan makeup is much brighter, more colorful more intense. The pink is disappointingly orange, but you can mix it with a bit of blue to get a wonderful hot pink glow. True white can be achieved most easily with a mixture of purple and a tiny bit of yellow. (2/3 or more purple, 1/3 or less yellow). Remember that blacklight makeup is fluorescing light, thus it is an additive mixing model (vs the subtractive model of normal painting). Mixing colors together makes brighter, lighter colors - not darker colors. It's like mixing different colored lights.
Unfortunately, under room light, the blacklight makeup reverts to a normal, subtractive color model. Your bright intense mixed colors are muddy, dark shades in daylight. Play, play, play...
In conclusion, the Kryolan is a much better product for use under a blacklight (the Wolfe is somewhat better in daylight) and I strongly recommend it - and learning HOW to use it! Happy painting :-) Mark
The butterfly at top is made of Wolfe FX makeup. The body is UV clear (NOT really clear unless applied VERY thin). The wing is a neon rainbow cake.
the bottom set of swatches are Kryolan AquaColor UV-Dayglow colors. From left to right: blue, purple, pink, orange, yellow, light green, and green. Light green is a pointless color for blacklight work. A pale, but much less intense green. Mix normal green with white - I'd expect the exact same result.
As you can easily see, the Kryolan makeup is much brighter, more colorful more intense. The pink is disappointingly orange, but you can mix it with a bit of blue to get a wonderful hot pink glow. True white can be achieved most easily with a mixture of purple and a tiny bit of yellow. (2/3 or more purple, 1/3 or less yellow). Remember that blacklight makeup is fluorescing light, thus it is an additive mixing model (vs the subtractive model of normal painting). Mixing colors together makes brighter, lighter colors - not darker colors. It's like mixing different colored lights.
Unfortunately, under room light, the blacklight makeup reverts to a normal, subtractive color model. Your bright intense mixed colors are muddy, dark shades in daylight. Play, play, play...
In conclusion, the Kryolan is a much better product for use under a blacklight (the Wolfe is somewhat better in daylight) and I strongly recommend it - and learning HOW to use it! Happy painting :-) Mark
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