Flaming Phones!!!

This is a "RANT" if this were not a rant it would have be proceeded by a "Testing Disclaimer" and some type of anoying tones or beeps! This is NOT a TEST!

This month I recieved my SBC e-bill notification as I always do. To my surprise I was being notified that this bill is for $200.00+ USD!!! But how can this be, you ask? I am in Iraq. I don't use my home phone! Why do I have ~$170.00 in International phone calls to cell phones in Romania and Nigeria???

Well someone made the calls right? True, my cousin is staying at my house back in the states and I phoned him on this matter last night. He informed me that he called some local chat lines in the Houston area but no long distance. I do know that he is in the habbit of having stupid conversations with women on these freebee chatlines when he gets bored, but I also know that there is NO WAY IN HELL that he successfully dialed an international phone number!!! Let me put it this way, he cant even put in a pin Code on an ATM and know what to press for Checking or Savings, much less dial to the side of the world on which I currently reside!

I am not sure if what he called was some type of a scam that forwards calls or what... but thats Nukin Futs!!! My real RANT agianst phone companies in the US is all the hidden charges and taxes etc. I get better billing and up front charges on my Cell phone bill than I ever have out of SBC!! I am so sick of their crap... this stems from previous issues that I have had with them over the years. Don't these Phone companies of yesteryear understand that we are just not getting any value out of their service for the over inflated prices we pay! Do they not know that they are going the way of the Dinosoar. I myself have been operating on Cellphone since 1997 and only recently set up a Land Line when I bought my house in December. I soon inherited the stupid charges and crap service that I had fought in the past over my mother's phone service.

I tell you what, I for one am tired of companies like SBC... AKA the AOL of phone companies! I will be switchin to VONAGE! I may even do it before I go back to the states! If you already have broadband internet why pay companies like SBC $60 a month for the hassles, just use a VOIP phone! Believe me they work! I have been using one in Iraq for over a year and they are way better than the digital and analog lines that we had before we went VOIP!

Yes, this was a bit of a blab with thoughts all over the place but I feel better! Heck, I'll be great just as soon and I find a way to hose that $170 worth of scam charges and and reduce my monthly phone bill by 3/4's!!!