JUST DO SOMETHING PEOPLE!

The die had seemingly been cast: The governor, many neighbors and state transportation officials agreed the crowded four-lane Evergreen Point Bridge should be replaced with a new six-lane span by 2014.

It would be bigger than the current 45-year-old bridge, with shoulders and a bike lane, and lanes for carpools and mass transit, where growing numbers of commuters seem to be heading as gas prices rise. Estimated cost: up to $3.9 billion.

But Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi believes that's not enough. His transportation plan calls for replacing the bridge with "a structure capable of eight lanes using large dual pontoons" and says added lanes could be used for transit. Rossi's estimated cost: $3.3 billion (yes, cheaper than the estimated cost of a six-lane option).

"We have to have greater capacity" on the crossing, Rossi said. "The bridge has been the same since I was 2 years old."

But Rossi's opponent, Gov. Chris Gregoire, and others have focused on the six-lane option since state studies concluded that an eight-lane bridge would be far more costly and create too much traffic congestion on Interstate 5 in Seattle to be worth pursuing.

Gregoire said Rossi's dream of building an eight-lane structure cheaper than a six-lane span is "complete silliness. It doesn't work."

And she and other backers of a six-lane design think it's too late to resurrect an idea they thought was buried. A majority of state lawmakers approved a six-lane configuration, and she said local leaders agreed to compromise on six lanes to settle a four-versus-eight lane argument.

"We've had a decision (for a six-lane design), and that decision should not be re-opened," said Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin.

Connections to a six-lane bridge would include widening part of the southbound tunnel lane and shoulder from I-5 to the eastbound 520 lanes. From northbound I-5, the onramp to 520 would be widened to two lanes. A bus-only ramp would connect to the I-5 express lanes, carrying bus and carpool traffic westbound in the morning and eastbound in the evening, reflecting traffic directions on the express lanes. Four elevated street bridges would be rebuilt to accommodate the wider highway.

According to state studies, an eight-lane bridge would also require new capacity on I-5 to accommodate increased traffic from a new bridge, much of which would course through downtown Seattle toward Interstate 90.

Engineers calculated that this would require tunneling under I-5, adding elevated lanes or creating new frontage roads to the side of it, with the third options appearing the most cost-effective. Lanes also would have to be added northbound, requiring excavating into Capitol Hill, they said.

"You chase the problem to I-5," said Ron Paananen, the state transportation department's deputy urban corridor's manager: "You chase the problem to I-90."

Based on this analysis, Gregoire supported a six-lane design, which is being discussed in a mediation process approved by the Legislature and extending to the end of this year.

"As far as I'm concerned, (eight lanes) is not an active issue," said Jonathan Dubman, who represents Seattle's Montlake neighborhood on the 34-member mediation panel.

In 2003, the state estimated an eight-lane span would cost $5 billion to $6 billion. Paananen thinks the cost might be closer to $7 billion to $8 billion now just for the bridge and its connections to I-5 and I-405.

Project Director Julie Meredith said the 2003 estimate included about $2 billion just to connect the bigger span to I-5. Connections to both I-5 and I-405 would be costly and difficult, she said. Estimated costs for connecting a six-lane bridge to I-5 range from $180 million to $260 million.

In an interview Wednesday, Rossi said an eight-lane bridge is what's needed, eventually if not immediately, to cope with the region's growing population.

His idea: build at least a six-lane bridge set on pontoons wide enough to accommodate one more lane in each direction, then add two more lanes once the money is found for them.

His plan comes at a time when commuters have faced rising gasoline prices and appear to be driving less and riding transit more. But Rossi is convinced people will continue to drive and new sources of propulsion such as fuel cells will power their vehicles.

Forcing people out of cars, he said, "is not going to happen."

Other proponents of the wider bridge say the state's analysis of the eight-lane option is flawed.

Jim MacIsaac, a retired planner and member of the Eastside Transportation Association, thinks the state wrongly assumed congestion on I-5 included vehicles from 520.

He said 40 percent of the westbound 520 traffic would exit at Montlake, near the University of Washington. Rossi agrees.

"It was Seattle traffic that filled up the capacity the model was showing for I-5, and it had nothing to do with additional lanes on I-5," MacIsaac said. Asked about this, state consultant Michael Horntvedt said the problem was more vehicles using side streets as well as added traffic from 520.

Rossi's cost estimate is lower than the state's. As with other costs in Rossi's plan, the figure is stated for comparison purposes in 2007 dollars, which don't account for future inflation.

This was done, a campaign spokeswoman said, to get comparable figures for all the projects in Rossi's plan. State estimates are "year-of-expenditure" figures that included estimated inflation during construction.

Ross said if it costs more than he estimates he'll look for savings in other major projects or consider allocating more auto-sales tax revenue to the work.

"If you worry about that you're missing the point," he said. "The point is we need to do this."

He blames "a failure in leadership" for lack of a plan for the eight-lane span. Rossi backers are excited about the idea.

An eight-lane configuration is "absolutely imperative," said Kemper Freeman Jr., a well-known Eastside developer. "I can't believe we're thinking of anything else."

Rossi said his idea isn't aimed at getting votes on the Eastside, where he said, "I already have a lot of support."

But Gregoire recalled leaders already studied the eight-lane proposal and discovered the high costs and traffic complications that left people saying, "No, thank you."

She said an eight-lane project isn't realistic now politically because of opposition in Seattle, where neighborhoods are "not going allow an eight-lane bridge today to land on the west side without litigation and litigation and litigation."

Both Rossi and Gregoire said if a six-lane bridge is built now it could be expanded if communities decide to do so. A key difference is that Rossi's plan would include pontoons large enough for all eight lanes; a six-lane plan design reduces some upfront cost by leaving the expansion upgrade until later.

The two politicians espouse different views about the future of transportation. Rossi advocates added highway capacity as a way to keep people and goods moving.

While in the Legislature, "I worked hard in the Senate to get the five-lane expansion on Highway 202 from Sahalee (Way) west and the new flyover on 520," he said. "I can't tell you how many ... of my neighbors have come up to thank me. It adds 45 minutes to an hour a day with their families."

Gregoire thinks commuting and transportation are changing and projects should reflect this.

"With high gas prices (people) are getting out of cars," she said. Buses are full, and park-and-rides are full. ... Our challenge now is to get them options," such as transit on dedicated lanes.

"Just building a new lane, a new road, is yesterday's thinking."
(Source)

WELLS FARGO STILL SHINES

July 16 (Bloomberg) -- Wells Fargo & Co., the biggest bank on the U.S. West Coast, reported second-quarter profit that topped analysts' estimates on record revenue, sending the shares up as much as 12 percent and buoying U.S. stock futures.

Net income dropped 23 percent to $1.75 billion, or 53 cents a share, from $2.28 billion, or 67 cents, a year earlier, the San Francisco-based bank said today in a statement. That beat the 50-cent average estimate of 21 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Revenue increased 16 percent to $11.5 billion.

Gains in credit card fees and insurance revenue softened the impact of bad home loans at Wells Fargo, which raised its quarterly dividend 10 percent. While earnings have declined for three straight quarters, Chief Executive Officer John Stumpf has kept the bank profitable even as Citigroup Inc. and Washington Mutual Inc. racked up losses and lenders Countrywide Financial Corp. and IndyMac Bancorp Inc. disappeared.

"They've got a nice balance of businesses,'' said William Frels, chief executive officer of Mairs & Power Inc., which manages $4.5 billion in St. Paul, Minnesota, and owns Wells Fargo shares. ``They're very well-managed.''

Wells Fargo jumped $2.47, or 12 percent, to $22.98 in early trading after falling 4.9 percent yesterday on the New York Stock Exchange. The shares dropped 32 percent this year through yesterday, compared with a 41 percent decline for the Standard & Poor's 500 Financials Index.

The company is the first of the five biggest U.S. banks to post formal second-quarter results. JPMorgan Chase & Co., ranked third, is scheduled to report tomorrow, and Citigroup, the industry's biggest, discloses earnings the next day.

Avoiding Subprime

Wells Fargo, the second-biggest U.S. mortgage lender, has said it avoided subprime loans, which caused more than 100 companies to close, be sold or halt operations since the beginning of 2007. Bank of America Corp. became the biggest home lender this month when it completed a rescue of Countrywide by purchasing the Calabasas, California-based company.

Last month, analyst Vivek Juneja of JPMorgan reduced his 2008 and 2009 profit estimates at Wells Fargo because of the likelihood of additional loan loss reserves. The percentage of loans no longer collecting interest rose to 1 percent from 0.8 percent in the previous quarter and 0.5 percent a year earlier.

The company set aside $7.52 billion for bad loans, compared with $6 billion at the end of March. The bank said in April that the $6 billion allowance was the highest in 10 years.

While profit is declining amid the mortgage crisis, Wells Fargo is diversifying by bolstering its insurance and credit cards units. In May, Wells Fargo bought Flatiron Credit Co., which finances insurance premiums, and the bank has been building its credit-card business.

Revenue Growth

Those areas provide ``the basis for continued revenue growth as the mortgage banking segment faces a tough market in 2008,'' wrote Standard & Poor's credit analyst Victoria Wagner, in a report last month. ``Wells Fargo's franchise is well managed and well-positioned.''

Insurance revenue climbed 27 percent in the quarter to $550 million and credit card fees rose 14 percent to $588 million, the company said.

Wells Fargo increased its quarterly dividend 10 percent to 34 cents a share. Competitors including Washington Mutual Inc. and Citigroup have slashed their payouts as losses mount.

Billionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. boosted its stake in Wells Fargo in the first quarter by 1.4 million shares to 290.7 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The Omaha, Nebraska-based firm owns 8.8 percent of Wells Fargo, making Berkshire the biggest stakeholder, according to Bloomberg data.

California ranked second among U.S. states in June for foreclosures, with one filing for every 192 households, according to RealtyTrac Inc. Foreclosures nationwide increased 53 percent that month from a year earlier.

The world's biggest financial firms have reported more than $400 billion of losses and writedowns tied to the U.S. housing slump, according to Bloomberg data, with $4.9 billion coming from Wells Fargo.

(SOURCE)

RedLasso - Madonna's Brother Tells All on GMA - Part 2

Wanna see more from Christopher Ciccone, Madonna's ex-brother? (kidding, kind of)

What I think would be the biggest test of her character would be if she would make up with him, give her OK for the book and recognize it as a brother in pain missing his big sister. Easier said than done I'm sure but surely the biggest growth will come from it.

CHRISTOPHER CICCONE: WHY?

Such a shame really. Madonna's brother cashes in and releases a book about his sister, but is there anything really interesting to say? I've read excerpts and while interesting because I'm a fan, he tends to come off as a jilted, bitter ex at times. It's too bad because he's actually an amazing talent. I would know this because we used to know each other and he was and surely still is an extraordinary person. 

Here he is on Good Morning America discussing his booked called, Life with My Sister Madonna. 

MORMONS CAN'T BE SEXY?

The creator of a calendar that featured shirtless Mormon missionaries was excommunicated Sunday after a disciplinary meeting with local church leaders in Las Vegas.

Chad Hardy said he bears no ill will toward the council of elders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"I felt like I spoke my truth," the 31-year-old entertainment entrepreneur said. "Bottom-line, they still felt the calendar is inappropriate and not the image that the church wants to have." SPOKE YOUR TRUTH? 

"Men on a Mission," which has sold nearly 10,000 copies at $14.99 each, included pictures of 12 returned missionaries wearing black slacks, but not their trademark white shirts, in modest poses. The men also were photographed in traditional missionary garb and share their religious beliefs in biographical sketches.

Some of the 12 models have also been called to disciplinary meetings, but none were punished.

"I have no ill feelings toward any of those people," Hardy said of the church council. "They did what they believed was right and I really do feel it was the best decision for both of us." COME ON NOW, YOU KNOW HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING!

Frank E. Davie, the senior leader over a group of Mormon congregations in the Las Vegas area, confirmed the 12-member council's decision in a telephone call to The Associated Press. He declined further comment.

Hardy said the purpose of the 2008 calendar was not to tear down the church or its 13 million members.

"The project is about stepping outside the stereotypes and stepping outside of the image," Hardy said. "Not everybody fits the image and I let them know we're not trying to portray an image for the entire church." TO MOVE MERCHANDISE

An excommunicated person is removed from official church rolls, but are still welcome at church services. Excommunicated members are prohibited from receiving the sacrament and can't perform church callings such as teaching or preaching during meetings. They also cannot enter church temples. BUMMER

McCain’s Conservative Model? Roosevelt (Theodore, That Is)

Mr. McCain, who with his wife, Cindy, has an adopted daughter, said flatly that he opposed allowing gay couples to adopt. “I think that we’ve proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no, I don’t believe in gay adoption,” he said. . .

He opposes gay marriage and gay adoption, and I oppose a geriatric in the White House. Fair enough John, now go drink your Ensure.

OK, I'm back to being a good person. 

WAR WITH IRAN?

The United States has played down any prospects of war with Iran or any immediate dangers from its nuclear drive but warned that the world was ready to confront its "provocative" policies. Iran's test firing of a medium range missile that it said could reach Israel drew anger in Washington but US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the United States and Iran were not close to war. Asked if the two countries were closer to a military confrontation in light of the escalating rhetoric, Gates said, "No I don't think so." "The reality is there is a lot of signalling going on, but everybody recognizes what the consequences of any kind of a conflict would be," he said. "And I would tell you that this government is working hard to make sure the diplomatic and economic approach to dealing with Iran and trying to get the Iranian government to change its policy is the strategy and is the approach that continues to dominate," said the defense chief.

Iran's missile launch Wednesday came a day after an aide to Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Tehran would "set fire" to Israel and the US navy in the Gulf in response to any American attack over its nuclear program. The missile launch is "very disturbing, provocative and reckless," said William Burns, the top official handling Iranian issues at the US State Department. But Under Secretary of State Williams played down any imminent dangers from Iran's uranium enrichment despite fears among world powers fear the sensitive nuclear program could be used to make a nuclear weapon. "While Iran seeks to create the perception of advancement of its nuclear program, real progress has been more modest," he told Congressional hearings on the "strategic challenge posed by Iran."

Iran has not yet mastered uranium enrichment, thanks to three rounds of sanctions imposed on Tehran by the UN Security Council for not suspending the nuclear program, he said. "It is apparent that Iran has not yet perfected enrichment, and as a direct result of UN sanctions, Iran's ability to procure technology or items of significance to its missile programs, even dual use items, is being impaired," Burns said.

For the rest of the article, click here.

LINK'S CROSSBOW: I'M ADDICTED TO YOU

Link's Crossbow, I wish I could quit you. 

 

$19.99 and probably my favorite Wii game thus far. 

SHOULD I MOVE TO TEXAS (AGAIN)?

While the rest of the country is experiencing a huge "economic downturn", Texas might just be the place to be. Have a look.

NEWER, FASTER, CHEAPER iPHONE 3G

From the Wall Street Journal:

July 9, 2008

Apple Inc.'s iPhone has been the world's most influential smart phone since its debut a year ago, widely hailed for its beauty and functionality. It was a true hand-held computer that raised the bar for all its competitors. But that first iPhone had two big drawbacks: It was expensive, and it couldn't access the fastest cellular-phone networks.

WSJ's Walt Mossberg reviews the brand new 3G iPhone, weighing whether or not the latest features, including a faster Internet network, GPS and a lower entry price, can overshadow some of the drawbacks. (July 9)
On Friday, Apple is launching a second-generation iPhone, called the iPhone 3G, which addresses both of those problems, while retaining the look and feel of the first model's hardware and software.

The base version of the new iPhone costs $199 -- half the $399 price of its predecessor; the higher-capacity version is now $299, down from $499. Yet, this new iPhone is much, much faster at fetching data over cellphone networks because it uses a speedy cellular technology called 3G. And it now sports a GPS chip for better location sensing.

The company also is rolling out the second generation of its iPhone operating system, with some nice new features, including wireless synchronization with corporate email, calendars and address books. And there's a new online store for third-party iPhone programs that Apple hopes will make the device usable for a wider variety of tasks, including gaming and productivity applications. This new software and store will also be available on older iPhones, through a free upgrade.

I've been testing the iPhone 3G for a couple of weeks, and have found that it mostly keeps its promises. In particular, I found that doing email and surfing the Internet typically was between three and five times as fast using AT&T's 3G network as it was with the older AT&T network to which the first iPhone was limited.

Apple
Apple's new iPhone operating system includes an 'App store,' where you can browse for, and download, third-party software.
The iPhone 3G is hardly the first phone to run on 3G networks, and it still costs more than some of its competitors. But overall, I found it to be a more capable version of an already excellent device. And now that it's open to third-party programs, the iPhone has a chance to become a true computing platform with wide versatility.

There are two big hidden costs to the new iPhone's faster speed and lower price tag. First, in my tests, the iPhone 3G's battery was drained much more quickly in a typical day of use than the battery on the original iPhone, due to the higher power demands of 3G networks. This is an especially significant problem because, unlike most other smart phones, the iPhone has a sealed battery that can't be replaced with a spare.

Second, Apple's exclusive carrier in the U.S., AT&T Inc., has effectively negated the iPhone's up-front price cut by jacking up its monthly fee for unlimited data use by $10. Over the course of the two-year contract you must sign to get the lower hardware prices, that adds $240, overwhelming the $200 savings on the phone itself. If you want text messaging, the cost rises further. With the first iPhone, 200 text messages a month came free. Now, 200 messages will cost $5 a month, or another $120 over the two-year contract.

The iPhone 3G still has a couple of features that made the first version unpalatable to some potential buyers. It uses a virtual on-screen keyboard instead of a physical one. While I find the virtual keyboard easy and accurate, not everyone does. Also, in the U.S. and in many other countries, the iPhone is still tied to a single exclusive carrier, whose coverage or rate plans may be unacceptable to some.

Here is a rundown of the changes in the new model.

Design: The new iPhone looks almost exactly like the old one. It is the same length and width, has the same big, vivid screen, and has the same number and layout of buttons. The main difference is the back, which is now plastic instead of mostly metal and curved instead of flat. It's very slightly thicker in the middle, with tapered edges, and weighs a tiny bit less.

Apple
The new iPhone 3G (left) delivers much higher Internet download speeds over cellular networks than the original iPhone (right).
Like its predecessor, the iPhone 3G comes in two models distinguished only by storage capacity: 8 gigabytes and 16 gigabytes. The top model is available in black or white.

Apple has greatly improved the audio on the new iPhone. I found the speaker was much louder, for music and for the speakerphone. But the new phone produced an echo when used with the built-in Bluetooth system in my car. Also, the headphone jack is now flush with the case instead of recessed as on the first model, so it can accept any standard stereo earphones.

The camera, however, is still bare-bones. It can't record video and has a resolution of just two megapixels. The power adapter is now tiny, at least in the U.S., but Apple no longer includes a dock for charging, just a cable.

Software: The basic software is similar. The biggest addition for some users will be full compatibility with Microsoft's widely used Exchange ActiveSync service, which many corporations use. In my tests, I was able to connect the iPhone 3G to my company's Exchange servers in a few minutes, and my corporate email, calendar and contacts were replicated on the phone. Any changes I made on the iPhone were reflected almost instantly in Microsoft Outlook on my company PC, and vice versa. Email was pushed to the phone as soon as it was received on the company's servers.

One drawback: While you can have both personal and Exchange email accounts on the new iPhone, if you synchronize with Exchange calendars and contacts, your personal calendar and contacts are erased.

The new iPhone and upgraded older iPhones also will be able to use a new Apple consumer service, MobileMe, which offers synchronized push email, calendars, photos and contacts.

Apple's 3G iPhone: Complete Coverage
There are other improvements. You can now delete multiple emails at once, set parental controls and search your contacts. You can also save photos in emails or from Web sites. You can also now open Microsoft PowerPoint files sent as attachments, though I found in my tests that opening larger PowerPoint files crashed the phone.

Some software features missing from the first iPhone are still AWOL on the new one. There's no copy and paste function, no universal search, no instant messaging and no MMS for sending photos quickly between phones.

Network: Like the old iPhone, the new one can perform Internet tasks using either Wi-Fi wireless networking or the cellphone networks. But the addition of 3G cellular capability makes the new model more useful for Web surfing, email and other data tasks when you're not in Wi-Fi range. In my tests, in Washington and New York, I got data speeds mostly ranging between 200 and 500 kilobits per second. By comparison, the original iPhone, tested in the same spots at the same time, mostly got cellular data speeds between 70 and 150 kbps on AT&T's old EDGE network. The new iPhone typically was between three and five times as fast as the old one.

While AT&T now has 3G networks in 280 U.S. cities, and aims to be in 350 by year end, it is converting its cellphone towers gradually, so not all areas of included cities have 3G coverage. The new iPhone falls back to EDGE speeds when 3G isn't present.

One side benefit to 3G is that in some areas, voice coverage improves. At my neighborhood shopping center, where the first iPhone got little or no AT&T service, the iPhone 3G registered strong coverage. But I still found that calls regularly broke up on some major streets. In New York City, riding in a taxi along the Hudson, one important call was dropped three times on the new iPhone. Finally, I borrowed a cheap Verizon phone and got perfect reception.

Battery life: Apple claims that over 3G, the new iPhone can get five hours of talk time, or five hours of Internet use. Talk time is twice as long on the older EDGE network, and Internet time is an hour better with Wi-Fi.

I ran my own battery tests using the phone's 3G capability. Although I left the Wi-Fi function on, I didn't connect it to a network, so the phone had to rely on 3G. In my test of voice calling, I got 4 hours and 27 minutes, short of Apple's maximum claim and nearly three hours less than what I recorded in the same test last year on the original iPhone. In my test of Internet use over 3G, I got 5 hours and 49 minutes, better than Apple's claim, but far short of the nine hours I got using Wi-Fi in last year's tests.

More important, in daily use, I found the battery indicator on the new 3G model slipping below 20% by early afternoon or midafternoon on some days, and it entirely ran out of juice on one day. I overcame this problem by learning to use Wi-Fi instead of 3G whenever possible, turning down the screen brightness and even turning off 3G altogether, which the phone permits.

The iPhone 3G's battery life is comparable to, or better than, that of some other 3G competitors. But they have replaceable batteries. The iPhone doesn't.

Third-party software: If things go as Apple hopes, third-party software could be the biggest attraction to the new iPhone 3G, and to upgraded older iPhones. By some estimates, there will be hundreds of these programs, some free and some paid, almost immediately.

Apple didn't supply me with programs for testing, but I managed to try several on older devices upgraded to the new operating system. I tested a game that used the phone's motion sensors to control the action, and I tested several programs from America Online, including AOL Instant Messenger; AOL Radio, which streams music from the Internet; and AOL's Truveo video search engine. All worked very well.

Among the programs Apple has publicly previewed were a sales automation program from Salesforce.com, a game called Super Monkey Ball from Sega and a program for bidding on eBay. Also made public were a news reader from the Associated Press, a program for following live games from Major League Baseball and several programs for doctors, including the Epocrates drug reference.

Bottom line: If you've been waiting to buy an iPhone until it dropped in price, or ran on faster cell networks, you might want to take the plunge, if you can live with the higher service costs and the weaker battery life. The same goes for those with existing iPhones who love the device but crave faster cellular data speeds. But if you already own an iPhone, and can usually use Wi-Fi for data, you probably should hold off and get the free software upgrade before deciding whether it's worth getting the new hardware.

BLACKBERRY BOLD VS iPHONE 3G

I can't believe I am still messing with this subject! Anyway, over at PinStack, they put together this little guide with the side-by-side specs of each device, so have a look. 

Click on image to enlarge.

WHEN AN iPHONE MEETS A CAR TIRE

The bad: I need a new phone, which means mo' money. 

The good: I was able to retrieve all of the data off of it before activating the back-up phone, so while it looks mangled (and is), the insides remained in tact.

By the way, does anyone read palms? 

FLYING HIGH IN OREGON - THOUGHTS?

Could marijuana ever be sold in retail stores in Oregon?

If supporters of cannabis legalization have their way, that could be a reality as soon as November of 2010. This week, marijuana legalization activists kicked off a campaign to collect more than 80,000 signatures, enough to put that plan onto the statewide ballot in 2010. The group says millions of dollars would flow annually into Oregon's general fund through the sale of marijuana to adults over 21 years old.

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission would manage the program, which would license approved individuals to cultivate the product for sale. A portion of the taxes collected would go to drug treatment.

Oregon already has a medical marijuana program.

(Source)

Apple, Can You Hear Me?

One of our iPhones was run over by a car, so i've been using my BlackBerry Pearl as a backup and it isn't so bad, although the browser isn't ideal and I have to get used to the trackball again. And oh yeah, I have to used to lugging my iPod around again, such a hassle! But having copy and paste is awesome to have, why can't Apple provide that? If they did, I could strongly consider the new iPhone.

This leads me to my next question: how much will it cost me if I am already on contract? I get that the low entry price of $199/299 is all smoke and mirrors because of the service revenue that AT&T will be collecting, so we will see what kind of "upgrade" they will afford me.

Stay tuned, the call is happening today and keep in mind, AT&T will have both the BlackBerry Bold AND the new iPhone so I am still not sure which one I will be paying too much for.

iPHONE vs BLACKBERRY BOLD

Proud to be American

If you saw Drop Dead Gorgeous, you'll appreciate this little piece of Americana. I couldn't resist taking this picture. 

Je Suis Le Chef!

It was a rough game, but I pulled it through, bien sur!

Forgive my rough French, it's been a while.

Happy 4th of July!

Today is the day the Declaration of Independence was first adopted by the Continental Congress.

Let freedom ring indeed, and may you enjoy the day with those you love. In my case, the day started with gas station coffee and Hostess Raspberry-filled Donuts.

Class is overrated!

Follow The Yellow Brick Road

Ok, it isn't yellow, nor is it brick, but it is a several-mile path parallel to the ocean that's just really peaceful to ride. It curves, goes up and down, and is seldom busy. I put on some music and just ride for miles, with the ocean air blowing through my luscious locks.

TRUE COLORS TOUR - SEATTLE

I saw the show last night, and it was remarkable - Joan Armatrading is cool as hell, but the B-52s and Rosie stole the show. Everyone was up and dancing during the B-52s, even if it wasn't old stuff! And Rosie was touching, poignant, and funny - all the best. I didn't get to meet her though, sadly. Another time perhaps. 

Will post more later.