Another day, another incremental Treo upgrade, and still a whole lot of nothing… Today Palm released the Treo 750 the first GSM upgrade to the Treo platform in 20 months, but the 4the upgrade (700p, 700w, 700wx) to Treo line in the same amount of time. How shortsighted could they possibly be to ignore GSM, and the largest US Cellular provider for so long? It’s no wonder that they’re forcasting that they’ll miss their earnings targets. I’m at a loss as to what to do. I’m frustated with Palm, tired of my beat up phone, but I can’t find anything that fits the bill to replace it.

I got a letter today from Fred Beans VW, of Devon PA, and it reminded me just how much I dislike them. Back in July I took my TDI Jetta in for a state inspection and a 40k checkup - and the car was promised to be done in a day. I called each of the following 4 business days (I didn’t call over the weekend) to see if it was finished… When I finally got the car back the headlight was burned out (even though you can’t inspect a car in PA with a burned out headlight) and the electric lock in the rear driver side door no longer worked. Of course Fred’s crack team of VW engineers assured me that everything had been working before they drove it around the back of the shop to bring it out to me!

What the hell is going on!? A little over a year ago everyone was yelling and screaming about $2.00 / gallon gas prices. Now I’m seeing upper $3 / gallon everywhere. USA Today is reporting that some stations are selling gas for over $6 / gallon, and that PA Governor Rendell is talking about rationing fuel! Today, on the way home from the cottage I filled the rig up and the bill was (are you sitting down?) over $100! I know that oil is becoming scarcer, and that recent events both here and abroad have really messed with the markets, but this absolutely can’t continue without causing the economy to collapse. Why isn’t the administration pushing for higher CAFE standards? Why aren’t they supporting alternative fuels - ethanol, bio-diesel, etc.? And why isn’t oil gushing out of the strategic oil reserve?!

I was down at the loading dock this morning loading a pallet of tiles onto a truck and I overheard something that really irked me. Another truck was also being loaded, by three guys, and the dock manager (for lack of a better term) was helping us both. When the other guys finished the dock worker (better name I think) said, “alright, who is paying?”.

I just can’t get over what’s happening to this country. The whole idea of teaching (or should I say preaching) creatlionalism in public schools just makes me sick! As I’ve said! before, “I have no problem with schools teaching comparitive religion - but to only espouse Christianity and to try and pass it off as science…” Give me a break! Whatever happened to the separation between Church and State? Did that go out the window with all our other rights when we elected the current administration? Intelligent Design isn’t science, and it has no business being included in the science curriculum of any school other then a parochial school’s.

It's funny how perceptions change over time... What had everyone up in arms only a few months ago is now just accepted. Back in the early spring (of this year) everyone was yelling about gas prices that were cresting $2.00 / gallon - today prices (considerably) above $2.00 / gallon are the norm and nobody is saying much.

I was always told "don't talk about Religion or Politics" or you'll risk offending somebody. But how can I keep my mouth shut with what's going on right here in Ohio? People For The American Way sent me an eMail today to remind me of the upcoming State School Board vote on altering Ohio's science curriculum...

I took auto shop in high school, it was a great class though I was a little out of place with the greasers who made up the rest of the class. I learned alot about cars, engines and machines in general. Since then I've enjoyed doing minor maintenance on my cars, but that is getting tougher and touger all the time.

"Are you carrying any firearms or over $10000 in cash?" The customs gaurd asks. When you reply "No" you're asked, at gunpoint, to exit your vehicle. How about this, you tell the salesman that you'ld love to buy the product but you don't have the cash on you - he begs to differ, and he's right. Sound a little too 1984-ish?

The Army announced today that after spending $6.9 Billion they were pulling the plug on the Comanche helicopter being jointly designed and built by Boeing and Sikorski.