Still think that TSA only confiscates potentially dangerous items to keep you safe?

Then why do they resell confiscated items? Each state uses a different reseller, here’s a partial list (and yes, some of them really do use eBay). h/t Greg Laden on The Science Blogs.

Soooo, explain to me:  if the items are resold, explain how this is not robbery instead of confiscation, and how all the resellers are not guilty of fencing stolen goods?

Well, not so much.  Even the federal government agency mandate hasn’t been fulfilled.

I’ve written about this chicken little tech syndrome before, here and here.  Can someone explain to me why the government went into full apopcalyptic prep mode for this, but not for global warming?

Oh, don’t answer that, it’s depressing enough just to think about.

Om Malik writes today about a recent state of US broadband report and the whole article is interesting.  But this graf was the kicker for me:

Of course, what didn’t help was the fact that it was their geographic footprint that played host to the housing bubble. New home sales drove the demand for broadband connections and as foreclosures started, the broadband party also started to wind down. The net new additions for the second quarter 2008 will tell an interesting story.

Lest we forget once again just how deep and wide the mortgage crisis runs, and just far it’s economic effects ripple out.

We’re the galactic Mariah Carey.

Gotta work this into the screenplay somewhere.

I can understand people wanting an iPhone.  I can understand people not wanting to be tied down to a cell phone service contract.  What I can not understand is why anyone would pay a 200% markup on a iPhone ($599 for the 8G) just to be rid of the AT&T contract.  By using AT&T’s pay-as-you-go plans (which I do, by choice, but that phone cost me less than $200 even at full retail) you would pay more for voice and with iPhone, you would also be paying more for data.  On top of the $200 markup.

I don’t know who’s the bigger dupe here, AT&T for (rumored to be) offering it, or any user who buys the untethered phone and pays the higher prices.

Paying more per minute was the right option for me because I use my cell phone so little.  I was paying more than $40 per month and using fewer than half the minutes in the lowest tier plan and I never used any of the data options.  To this date, I rarely pay more than $50 per month for phone service, and that includes the $18 per month for my VoIP phone at home.  I’ve discovered the joy of texting over calling, especially since I can send texts over CallWave for free.  They must be short but they still get the job done nicely.
Seriously, if you have a cell phone and no other service such as GrandCentral to receive your voicemails by email, you need CallWave.  I like the text service so much that I kept CallWave even after getting a GrandCentral number.

All of this has been just academic for me for the last couple of months, my Mexican drug habit means I couldn’t afford to get an Android phone late this year.  But my current cell phone is showing signs that it won’t last much longer.  Average life span is 18 months and my LG passed that mark some time ago.  I’m surprised it’s lasted this long, as often as I’ve dropped it.

…still treading water.

…just utterly overwhelmed.  Maybe next week.  Lately the only brain power I have left outside the office is dedicated to writing.

The new script story is coming together more, I have a several scenes blocked out and a few completely written in script form.  It’s bookended — the opening scene and closing scene are written.  It’s kind of cheesy, but that’s what this experiment is about, seeing if I can lighten up.  I can enjoy that kind of film, but can I come down from my ivory tower long enough to write one?

Time will tell.

But researching this story has brought me something unexpected and pleasant, a deep appreciation for the work of Carl Sagan.  I highly, highly recommend “The Demon Haunted World”.  So much so that I plan to buy it eventually.

Goddam, I’m gonna miss that piss&vinegar shitkicking cocksucking dickwaving word-loving cunt-calling truth-telling motherfucker.

But according to GigaOm, it’s not surprising, it’s par for the course for mobile startups.  Here are the reasons for the delay, only one of which can be laid directly at Google’s feet:

T-Mobile USA is taking up all of Google’s attention, since the company wants to launch a device in the 4th quarter. This is diverting attention away from other partners.

Executive reshuffle at Sprint is causing some delays. Sprint now wants to develop an Android phone for its 4G network instead of 3G network. Sprint as we know, is like a dancer with two left feet.

China Mobile’s equipment partner is having a tough time translating Android into Chinese characters.

Developers are finding it hard to write apps for Android because Google keeps making changes to the Android.

I already had three reasons not to vote for Obama:  Marc Evell, Gha-Is Askia and Alice Palmer (actually, I think Palmer counts for two).  Now I have another.

It does, however, grant retroactive immunity, and I will work in the Senate to remove this provision so that we can seek full accountability for past offenses.

Just like he worked in the Senate as an anti-war legislator by voting “yea” on each and every Iraq war spending bill?  If he did not agree with retroactive immunity, he should not have voted for this bill.  He will not work in the Senate for this or anything else because he will be too busy campaigning for president.