Scan Through Your Cell Phone Bill - You May Be Paying For Some Extra-Nothing Every month

Well. OK... it has been a small portion of a decade since I last Blogged anything. I'm having too much fun reading what other folks have written.

So - what's all this about our cell phone bills? You may not be aware that you could be charged upwards of $10 per month on your cell phone bill. Charged for what? Basically - Nothing at all. Your cell phone company could be pass-through billing you for "services" provided by a plethora of shell companies. Apparently this has been going on for quite some time now. People have gotten an SMS or text message stating that they need to text back the word "STOP" to not be billed every month. Most folks think that the text message itself is some sort of scam and delete it. Then they find out that they have been Opted-In for a "Service" - and the cell phone company goes along with this because they get a portion of the billing charge! Pretty cheeky bastards are they! Apparently - Verizon is actively suing these scam-artist clowns.  ATT - not so much, they like the monthly charges.

This problem has come to light through the investigation of a guy named Hamid Shojaee. He has a website that is concerned with starting up Tech businesses in Arizona. He found out that he was being charged $10 per month by his cell phone carrier.... for nothing. His attempts at bringing this to people's attention got him some really fine take-down letters from some highly-paid lawyers. And because these lawyers demanded that his website hosting company bring down the website - they did! No investigation on their part, no phone call nor any emails to figure out what the problemo was all about.

Here's my suggestion - check your phone bills. Anything on there that doesn't make sense to you - call your phone carrier and have them explain it to you. If you do find that you have been scammed - ask for your money back. You may get back 3 months worth.

I would also suggest that you check out Hamid's website and find out how these newly-rich scammers ended up with your money.... every month. Jason Hope and his company Jawa have been paying for lawyer letters to be sent out in this regard. You can read the letters and the responses on Hamid's website.

One of Arizona's newspapers wrote a story about this incident.

There is also a video that explains what this is on about.

Okay - have a nice week. I write some more stuff in a couple years or so!

.

Truth or Lies -- Fact or Fiction -- Hobby or Religion

Take a look at this WSJ article about Climate Emails being uncovered or discovered. Everyone has an opinion on the problem of Global Warming or whatever they're calling it this week.

Speaking of opinions, here's mine:

People will believe in what they want to... If they have "faith" in Al Gore and company - they will believe in a man-made crisis of Global Warming. Their "faith" will fuel their personal Religion. If you would like more understanding of how Panic and Crisis can make people some money (there really are people making lots of money on this "problem") -- please read Michael Crichton's State of Fear. It is fictional, but he has actual data from NOAA and other sources that show how folks can easily manipulate real data into something that supports their viewpoint. "Global Warming" is Amazing Stuff for Gullible People. Talk about Smoke and Mirrors!

Do you want some real Truth? Here is some TRUTH for you -- Our Sun and its 11-year Sun Spot cycle actually determines what our weather and climate is going to be. Humans have very little impact in forming the climate. CO2 levels in our atmosphere are completely BOGUS. All this talk about Carbon Levels and Carbon Footprint is complete and utter nonsense. Free Carbon is around 0.02% of what is in our atmosphere. That all... and it hasn't really changed levels in the last 100 years. Instead -- Take a look at Water Vapor levels in our atmosphere - that's correct - I said Water Vapor. Our Sun and Water Vapor are the 2 most powerful determining factors in our climate and weather.

Bottom Line is -- do your own research. If you rely on Politicians, Lawyers and the Media (PLM) to format your opinion about this situation -- all is lost for you....

(stepping off the Soapbox)-

Wynton Marsalis at the Thousand Oaks Arts Plaza

We attended the Wynton Marsalis concert at the Thousand Oaks Arts Plaza last evening. It was fabulous! A 15-piece band - Piano, Drums, Standup Bass, 3 Trombones, 4 Trumpets, and 5 Reeds (Sax, Clarinet, etc). They played in 2 sets of music and then 1 encore piece.

A highlight of the evening was that Dick Nash, the father of Ted Nash, the main composer for the group, showed up and played Trombone during one of the numbers. Outstanding!

Well worth the effort to get out and listen. The staging and lighting was very simple - the focus was on the music. The band was very tight and they obviously enjoyed playing together.

If you have the opportunity to see and hear the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis -- just do it.

AVAST! Ye Scurvy Dogs - We Be Talkin' Like Pirates Today!

ARRRRR!  It be me - The One Eyed Geek. This be a special postin' on me Blog. All of ye Mates and Wenches pay heed to what I have ta say 'ere --

September 19th be Talk Like A Pirate Day. You just have to talk like a pirate. There be no seawater or hardtack involved. Ye jus' Talk Like A Pirate. Ye Mates and Wenches are all obligated to parley and become Pirate Talkin' scum for a day. If'n ye are hankerin' fer more data - well - ye should be a'raisin' yer anchor and set sail fer the likes of this location on the Big Chart of the Open Seas - There be Pirates there! <- Talk Like a Pirate Website

There be technology involved fer ye what R Pirates and have a majik

computin' box - they calls it - a keyboardin' device -

So - ye all have a swell Pirate Talkin' Day -- may the wind back at yer backs and prosperous landfall soon in yer futures!

Rum all 'round me hearties.

And fer the rest of ye scalliwags what don't Talk Like a Pirate -- ye git ta Walk the Plank to be in Davy Jones' Locker.  Dead Men Tells No Tales!   Off with ye now!  Arrrr!

YO HO (A PIRATE'S LIFE FOR ME) <- click for song 

(Lyrics by Xavier Atencio and music by George Bruns)

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot,

Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.

We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot,

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

We extort, we pilfer, we filch, and sack,

Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.

Maraud and embezzle, and even high-jack,

Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

We kindle and char, inflame and ignite,

Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.

We burn up the city, we're really a fright,

Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.

We're rascals, scoundrels, villans, and knaves,

Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.

We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs,

Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

We're beggars and blighters, ne'er-do-well cads,

Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.

Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads,

Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho. 

Scientists Find Stuff Where No Stuff Should Be Found

The Hubble Spaced-based telescope has been put into the service of looking for galaxies where none should be located. They have been looking into the black and dark corners of the night sky. There seems to be so much open space out there...

The Hubble Ultra Deep Field in 3D

It is amazing the stuff that humans can find.... Amazing stuff that is in plain view....

• I wonder how those galaxies got there...
• I wonder how much other stuff humans haven't found yet...
• I wonder if humans really think they are the masters of their own domain...
• I wonder if humans will ever figure out that they are a small part of a vast and unimaginable universe and existence.
• I wonder if this is just another example of a NASA-invented conspiracy.
  
• I wonder if any human will read this Blog entry... ;-)

So, I was thinking --  How Big is God anyway?

The Butterfly Circus - a Short Film - Must See

I suggest that you take 20 minutes and view this film produced by The Doorpost Film Project. The writeup is this:

At the height of the Great Depression, the showman of a renowned circus leads his troupe through the devastated American landscape, lifting the spirits of audiences along the way. During their travels they discover a man without limbs at a carnival sideshow, but after an intriguing encounter with the showman he becomes driven to hope against everything he has ever believed. Starring Eduardo Verástegui (Bella), Doug Jones (Pan's Labyrinth, Fantastic Four) and featuring the debut performance of Nick Vujicic.

The Butterfly Circus

Focus Tape -- Santa Fe Opera Lighting & Electrics Apprentices Summer 2009

We were just in Santa Fe, NM - a few weeks ago. But what I wanted to share right now is -- a Music Video hosted on YouTube. It is titled "Focus Tape". The lyrics can be found to the right on the YouTube page.

The music is a version of Lady Gaga's Poker Face.

Some explainations: Source 4 is a type of lighting instrument, Lee-201 is a blue color of Gel. The Focus Tape is a black nylon strip with marking on it - that is rolled out on stage to help visualize a Grid on the stage when they are focusing the lighting for a show. My son Michael is the Lighting Supervisor this year at SFO.

3 Year's Since Last Post!!

So - my last post was 3 years ago, Today! Pretty cool.

I also now have a Facebook Place
My Contact Info
Email Me
Google Voice switch: 805-768-geoc (4362)