NaveOSS

I am a new Verizon wireless customer.  On May 24th I signed up for my account, and ordered the HTC Droid Incredible.  What has happened to me is nothing horrible, but when you think about how many people this happens to that don’t even notice it makes me sick.  On July 10th 2010 I received my first bill.  Unfortunately, it was incredibly higher amount due than advertised and expected.  Further inspection I found that I had been billed for Cellular Service -Activation even though on my Order Confirmation it said “Free”. As pictured in these two images, first is my order confirmation and second is my bill.

Order Confirmation

Verizon First Bill

“You say your order was placed on 05/24/2010. Your order was not inserted into the billing system and your credit card wasn’t billed until 06/09/2010. On 06/09/2010 there was no special for free activation so you were charged the fee when your account was created.”

The Facts: I placed my order and have my confirmation email on 05/24/2010. I ordered the HTC Incredible which was on backorder. My phone shipped on 06/09/2010 which was the same day my account was created and credit card charged.

Action: Verizon personnel credited my account $35.00 for the fee. However, he stated he didn’t believe that the $35 was incorrectly charged because his only record of the account is on 06/09/2010.

My Feelings: Computers don’t make mistakes like this. Computers are programmed to act and respond a specific way based on events generated by human interaction. The system was designed so that YOU the customer are scammed a little off the top in cases like this. If busted Verizon can go, oops sorry, heres some money back. For all the people that don’t catch it, thats more money in their pocket.

When did companies start feeling that nabbing $35 here and there from customers was worth the company image damage? Is it really worth it long term? I know that the moment another service comes up that has a few better features, I’m going to switch away from Verizon after this. If they had treated me well, I might have stayed regardless of competitions features.

As so many have said before, Wireless Companies. FAIL.

Hiking around for the day at Kinkaid lake. Great pictures of the very active spillway water flow that is actually rarely active.

Taking some hints from a local shop, I’ve decided to make a regular habit of having Egg Drop Soup as a snack/dinner soup.  Here is how I do it.

Ingredients:

• 2 x Eggs
• 2 x Can of Chicken Broth, maybe even 3 for extra soupy
• 1 Pinch of Thyme
• Few copped green onion tops, or maybe some other herb you like

Tools:

• Pot
• Mixing Cup to whip eggs in
• Slotted spoon or large fork

Steps:

1. Open Cans of Chicken Broth
2. Crack open eggs and whip them gently in the mixing cup until the yolk is mixed in with the white. Not enough for air bubbles to form though.
3. Pour Cans of Chicken Broth into a pot that looks like 2 cans will fit and be reasonably deep. Like 3-4 inches.
4. Place chopped green onion or whatever,  make sure you only use like 5-10 pieces. Not many are needed.
5. Place Pot on stove, turn the dial to like 5 or 6. I’d say medium, but how knows what that means. I’ve yet to see a stove that didn’t have Sim, 2-8, High, so lets just say it like it is. Place it on 6ish.
6. Bring broth to a boil
7. Mix in the pinch of Thyme
8. Have your Wife slowly stir the broth in a clockwise motion, about 1/2 the speed of a toliet flushing.  Slower/Faster will determine the thickness of the strands of eggs.
9. While Wife is stirring start to poor the whipped/mixed egg over the fork or through the slotted spoon into the boiling broth. Continue the stirring!
10. When out of Egg, remove from heat
11. Serve

Wait before eating. Very hot.

Pictures to come!

Other Hints from Jonathan Hutchins:
I like to cook some onion and garlic in a little butter or olive oil just until clear before I pour in the chicken stock.  A pinch of “Chinese Five Spice” is nice for flavor too.

Here is an interesting picture of something that happened to me recently. Getting ready to head for bed tonight and I see eyes in my wife’s glasses.

Pictures of stranger things exist I’m sure. This is just one example of how a lamp can reflect onto glasses causing some strange effects ;)