July Newsletter from Route53

'Rons' Newsletter - July 2004

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....~.... just Thinking out loud ....~....

Welcome to the July edition of Ron's Newsletter.
Well, you gotta love this month. Warm weather, gardens sprouting, vacations and bikinis.
Fill-up those backyard pools and Fire up those barbeques and check out these grilling tips and if needed, some sauce and marinade recipes.

Topics inside this edition include, cellphone complaints, links to finding great long-distance telephone deals and most of the major phone company websites are also listed below. In the entertainment world, Britney's back in the news and a lot of updates on past contestants of 'American Idol'. I've also added more dates to the Clay Aiken concert tour.
And.... if you didn't get to see enough of fireworks, here is a site, so that you can enjoy them right on your desktop. It's pretty kool! (once it loads, try clicking as fast as you can, for best results.) Oh, and there's a "Who Am I" to guess, remember, cheating is not allowed.

As always, your ideas & suggestions are always appreciated.
To read this online, Click here.
In case you missed last month's Newsletter, It's here.

C YA nEXT mONTH,
Ron

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.... The most wasted day of all ....
this is Carl

"is one in which we have not laughed."

53*... J-O-K-E of the M-O-N-T-H

Sally was seen going into the woods with a small package and a large bird cage. She was gone several days but finally returned. Her friend, Liz, had never seen her looking so sad.

Liz said, "Heard you went off into the woods for a couple of days. Glad you got back okay, but you look so sad. Why?"

Sally replied, "Because I just can't get a man."

Liz said, "Well, you sure won't find one in the middle of the woods!"

"Don't be so silly, Sally said, "I know that. I went into the woods because I needed something there that would GET me a man. But I couldn't find it."

Liz said, "I don't understand what you're talking about."

Sally replied, "Well, I went there to catch a couple of owls. I took some dead mice and a bird cage."

"So, how's that gonna help you get a man?" asked Liz.

Sally said, "Well, I heard that the best way to get a man
is to have a good pair of hooters."

Complaints Over Cell Phone Service Abound

Mobile phone service was the second-lowest ranked industry - beating only cable providers. Mobile companies were the No. 2 sector in complaints last year to Better Business Bureaus, only auto dealers did worse. "The industry claims that people love their cell phones and they're very happy with the service," said Carl Wood, a commissioner on the CA PUC, but he adds, "That's only half right."

Consumers complain of frequently dropped calls, lousy customer service and exorbitant penalties for exiting a contract. Then there are the fees - Verizon Wireless plans to collectively charge customers more than $173 million a year in fees for number portability alone.

• Example 1.
After J. McMurry's husband died last summer, Verizon Wireless told her that she would have to pay an early termination fee on his cell phone contract. She said, "This isn't an arbitrary thing, I'd be glad to fax you a copy of the death certificate. The man's dead." The Verizon rep replied she could either pay the fee or give the phone to another family member.

California recently adopted a Telecommunications Bill of Rights that requires companies to inform customers about rate increases, bill customers only for services that they request and allow customers to drop a service, without penalty, within 30 days. Although the new rules offer fewer safeguards against deceptive marketing and advertising, which also would have blocked companies from changing the terms of an existing contract, Eric Rabe, a spokesman for Verizon Communications Corp. said the company thought the new watered-down rules a bit unnecessary and promised the industry will challenge the new regulations in court. When asked about their poor ranking, Verizon's Rabe said, "Compared to what? I wouldn't compare the customer experience of dealing with a complicated technology with buying a shirt." (Ouch!!)

• Example 2.
C. Smith, 21, of San Diego, set up automatic payments for her Cingular Wireless bill. Cingular charged her credit card, then sent paper bills. When she didn't pay the duplicate bill, they cut off her service, saying she was delinquent. "They tried to double bill me," she said.

• Example 3.
N. Coleman, 34, of Jersey City, N.J., asked for a national plan when he signed up with AT&T Wireless. He worked inside his local calling area for months, then was sent to Dallas. His next mobile bill was $600, most of it roaming charges. Calls to AT&T Wireless's customer service ended with a rep telling him it was his responsibility to review his bill. There, on page 4, in the left-hand corner, in small print, it said "local plan." They had changed the terms of his existing contract.

Read more about Cell Phone Complaints and Customer Dissatisfaction from the Better Business Bureau

Did You Know?
Verizon Wireless claims their company has led customer satisfaction surveys, although they fail to mention that questions related to 'wireless' are not part of it.

AT&T Wireless, which has led the industry in complaints, according to Federal Communications Commission statistics made public by Consumers Union, was bought by Cingular for $41 billion in February. Cingular is in the process of merging the two companies.

So far -- cell phone numbers are not publicly accessible, but that may change. According to Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass, "What the phone companies want to do is to put everybody's cell phone number in a directory so that anyone can call you at any time unless you pay your cell phone company an extra fee to unlist your cell phone number." Certain cell phone contracts explicitly give the company the right to list your information in public directories, so if having your cell number published concerns you, you might want to check your contract, or better still, call them and voice your opinion before it's too late. Read the story here.

Prepaid mobile phones offer the convenience of standard, post-pay cell phones--but without a long-term contract.Prepaid service is ideal for people who rarely use their cell phones, prefer to limit their usage, or want a phone strictly for emergencies. A prepaid phone is also a good option for parents who want to budget their kids' cell phone usage.
Since the service is prepaid, there's no monthly bill, and unlike standard cellular services, prepay carriers don't require a credit check. Those offering pay-as-you-go plans include AT&T Wireless, T-Mobile, TracFone, Verizon, and Virgin Mobile.
Beware: Prepaid services DO expire. If you don't use your minutes within a specified period, you lose them. If your account is inactive beyond the expiration date, you'll likely lose your phone number, too. The only way to save your minutes and roll them over to the next cycle is by buying additional minutes. Also, per-minute charges on prepaid phones are pricier than fees for other plans. So if you plan on chatting a lot, don't sign up for a prepaid plan. Read more from PC World.

For more information, check out these related links:

Consumer Affairs Complaints

Phone Carriers List

Phone Glossary

How To Switch Carriers

Industry Groups

Local Number Portability

EasyPorting.com

File a Complaint

Pre-Paid Phone Cards

Learn About Slamming

How to Avoid Being Slammed

Factsheets on Telephone bills

How Toll Free Numbers Work?

How to Buy a Wireless Phone

Learn about Identity Theft

Recycle Wireless Phones

FCC Index

FTC Consumer Information

Telephone Long-Distance Deals Looking for a great long-distance deal? Think you've found the cheapest rates, but still confused by the information related to the Prices, Minimum Charges, Climbing Rates, Time Restrictions? Go here to sort out what is and what's not.
These sites include tips for shopping for long distance service. SmartPrice, RateKeeper, SaveOnPhone, ABTolls, LowerMyBills, GetConnected, Trac, AllFreeLongDistancePhoneCalls, 10-10PhoneRates, VolunteerLongDistance.

News You May Not Have Heard:

53* from the, "I hope he knows what he's talking about" department...
Surge Protectors are all the same. "I don't see a direct relationship between the cost of a surge protector and the protection it provides," says Joe Wilson, a senior electrical engineer with Eugene Water and Electric Board, the utility company that serves Eugene, Oregon. "Many, if not all, surge protectors are based on the same sort of technology, and the response times (how fast they switch on) are similar across the board." He goes on to say, "So don't get caught up in the energy dissipation and response time features that some surge protectors tout, they're not a reliable indication of quality. Instead, just make sure that the surge protector is UL 1449 rated." Read about other PC MYTHS.

53* and from the Entertainment news dept... Oh Baby, say it ain't so!...
Have you noticed Britney Spears 22, is sporting a five-carat diamond ring these days? A representative of her record label, Jive Records, has confirmed her recent engagement, (sorry Donnie), to her dancer boyfriend, Kevin Federline, 26. No date has been set, the two began dating only a few months ago, but the rumored date is Nov. 20th. Kevin has a two year old daughter with his ex-girlfriend Shar Jackson who, by the way, is pregnant with their second child. Ms. Jackson recently told 'US Weekly', "The two are made for each other. They both smoke, both drink and they both cheated on their significant others." Ouch!@#$ Apparently she was referencing herself and Britneys' former beau, Justin Timberlake. In still other Britney news, she recently unveiled her own fragrance. It's called "Curious" and it should be in stores by late September from the mega cosmetics company Elizabeth Arden. Read more details here.
Also, Britney has a greatest hits album due out Nov. 16. Get current updates and pics at the World of Britney.

53* staying with the subject of Singers Making News... In a June 23rd police report, Country singer Marty Stuart was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. According to the dispatcher, police received a call about an accident without injuries in the parking lot of a McDonald's in Henersonville, TN. that possibly involved alcohol. When officers arrived, they took Stuart to jail. A jail official said he was charged with first-offense DUI and released on $1,500 bail.

53* and from the "this really happened" dept... Come Out With Your Hands Up!..
Police arrived at the Beauty-By-Us Salon in Bristol, CT on 6-24 after getting a report of a break-in. The glass front door was shattered and some items were scattered about the floor. Police surrounded the building after hearing some commotion in a back room, believing the intruder was still inside. As two officers approached the salon's bathroom with their guns drawn, a deer leaped out at them. The animal raced in circles, slipped on the tile floor and jumped across countertops, smashing flowerpots and splattering bottles of shampoo and lotion. After the deer ran out the front door of the salon, it leaped over a police cruiser and was hit by a passing truck but the deer got up and was last seen headed down Riverside Avenue. Read the full article here.

53* from the "I Believe - I've Got a No. 1 Song!" department.... Fantasia Barrino...
the reigning "American Idol" winner is off to a fantastic start as her first single,
"I Believe," opens at No.1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles the week of 7-10-04.
It becomes the Hot 100's first No. 1 debut since second season "Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken's "This Is the Night". The winner of the talent show's third season -- who has dropped her last name, Barrino --three-song C-D single includes the songs "I Believe," "Chain of Fools" and "Summertime." The single sold 144-thousand units its first week out, according to Neilsen Soundscan, but it's not as many as her "American Idol" predecessors. Clay Aiken's first single, "This Is The Night/Bridge Over Troubled Water" sold nearly 393-thousand copies its first week while Ruben Studdard's single, "Flying Without Wings/Superstar," sold nearly 286-thousand. Kelly Clarkson sold 236-thousand copies of "Before Your Love"/"A Moment Like This" in its first week of release.
..... Other "American Idol Updates" .....
AI runner-up Diana DeGarmo has her first release "Dreams" currently out. It will also include her version of "I Believe," and "Don�t Cry Out Loud."
Kimberly Locke who finished third behind Clay Aiken a year ago, has released her second single, "Wrong" from her debut album, 'One Love'. Her first single, "8th World Wonder," peaked at #19 on Billboard's Hot 100. Kimberly is also planning a tour this fall.
Josh Gracin also from season two is having success. His "I Want to Live" rises to No. 14 this week on Billboard's Hot Country Singles. His self-titled debut album debuts on The Billboard 200 at No.11.
Clay Aiken has announced his next single, the fourth from his triple platinum album 'Measure of a Man', will be "I Will Carry You". more info here.
Tamyra Gray, from the first season, who co-wrote Fantasia's "I Believe", released her long-awaited debut album on May 25 entitled "The Dreamer".
RJ Helton has a hit Christian album and has signed with Beyonc�'s father, manager Mathew Knowles.
Vanessa Olivarez meanwhile, is playing the lead in the Toronto version of the Broadway musical "Hairspray."
Kimberly Caldwell recently signed with Randy Jackson and songwriter Diane Warren's new label.
Jasmine Trias is interested in acting, but will make a record first. "I want to do a little bit of pop and R&B, like a Tamyra Gray type of thing," she said.
La Toya London will audition for movies and record an album. "I don't really want to put a label on it, R&B, pop or anything," she said of her music. "I just want to do music that really hits the soul."
George Huff will hit the studio. "I'll do classic soul type of music," he said. "I even thought about doing what I've been doing in the competition, that is to do classics of every genre my own soulful way."
John Stevens is splitting his meetings between jazz labels and colleges. "I could see myself on the Norah Jones' label, but for right now I'm concentrating on school and hopefully getting accepted into college."
Jennifer Hudson wants to follow in the footsteps of a solo Beyonc�. "I do not do groups," she said. "I would like my album to be something inspirational or something with a message."
Jon Peter Lewis has Broadway and big-screen aspirations, but his first priority is finishing an album. "I'm doing a lot of songwriting," he said. "And I'm laying down some tracks, mostly in my own home recording studio for now."
Camile Velasco is moving to Los Angeles with hopes of hitting the club circuit, possibly with a hip-hop group a la the Fugees. "I definitely will do more of a hip-hop or urban song style," she said. "I'd like to make it as an artist onstage, but if I can't do it onstage, then definitely behind the scenes." her story is here.
Amy Adams is contemplating making a country record. "It's something I'm looking into because I felt good doing the Dixie Chicks' 'Sin Wagon'," she said.
"It was something right up my alley where I didn't even feel afraid."
Matt Rogers the former college football player is auditioning for TV and movie roles. "My plans were to get enough publicity where I could use it as a stepping-stone into acting," he said. "Someone even said that I might be up for Bob Barker's job on 'The Price Is Right' when he retires. If I do music, it would be in country music, which is pretty freaking ironic that I got eliminated during country week."
Leah Labelle is keeping her options open. "Paula and Randy both told me that this is just the beginning and that so much is gonna come out of this for me," she said. "So many doors have opened. I'm going to see what I can do to start making my dream come true."

53* Move over Anna Kournikova....there's a new racket in town.
Once upon a time, the world was promised the uncanny fusion of beauty and talent on the tennis court, it seemed like our prayers were answered when Anna Kournikova joined the professional tour. Maria Sharapova Unfortunately, the Russian beauty proved she was better suited to appear on the pages of magazines and on my desktop [grin] than on the court. However, there's a new racket in town that may just pick up where Kournikova left off. I'm talking about the 17 year old blonde Russian Tennis Star, Maria Sharapova, who has that same combination of beauty and talent and this time it's no fluke. She upset defending champion Serena Williams at Wimbledon 2004. See her image gallery, wallpaper and photos.

Note: Web links herein were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For assistance on expired links, try Googling the subject.

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