What’s the old saw about insanity, doing the same thing and expecting a different result? Heck, I don’t remember

Breaking News!! Dell designs own music player… again

Really? Seriously? April Fools??

Ok, fine. It’s real. I just hope Mitch Ferrence comes back. Do the right thing, Dell!

“Airwave (Radio Edit)”- Rank 1

The FCC auctions off the airwaves to wireless carriers in the name of the public good. The wireless carries ostensibly operate this public utility, and we all get cellphones — probably considered by many to be a basic necessity now — at an acceptable cost. The wireless carriers, incidentally, make billions in profits off of the air around us that our elected government licensed to them. This is all cool because it’s considered for the common good. I can accept that if I don’t look too closely.

What I don’t agree with is how the wireless carries can deliver such a low level of service where if there is a some sort of local crisis, say an earthquake, all circuits will be busy for hours after the event. Presumably if there was danger for an extended period of time, the circuits would continue to be unusable for a vast majority of the people trying to use them to reached loved ones.

I believe everyone who carries a cellphone is comforted by its presence, should there be an emergency. But, the wireless carriers who are making billions from your airwaves have no intention of serving you in the case of a very large emergency. They’ve built an infrastructure as cheaply as possible based on normal usage and have not planned — seemingly at all — for any usage beyond that. When an moderate earthquake that lasts thirty seconds with no loss of life can effectively tie up service for an hour or longer, as I saw this week, I get pissed off.

If we’re willing to hand over control over the airwaves, and the billions of dollars that go with that, I’d expect more. But, that’s not what we get.

We see this already with the feet-dragging over wireless 911 service. If there were any sort of mandated level-of-service guidelines, the wireless carriers would cry about the cost to them and pass on higher rates to customers — for what is essentially a necessary service today. And, they would continue to make billions.

Did I mention they’re our airwaves in the first place?

There’s something very wrong with me. When the building started rockin’ and rolling and it was clear we were in a significant earthquake, everyone was dashing for the support columns. Not me though,  my first reaction was to raise my arms in triumphant celebration and rock out. I don’t know why that is.

“Shake It Up” – The Cars

“Some Kinda Earthquake” – Duane Eddy

“Rockin’ Into The Night” – .38 Special

“Shake Your Groove Thing” – Peaches & Herb

Maps of Recent Earthquake Activity in California-Nevada

The video in this blog post makes me wish I was smart enough to have gone to law school. (I never even made it through college, so that’s a non-starter.) I may have to make an MP3 of this. Intelligent rational people cheer me up, especially when they’re great communicators. Yes, even when the situation they’re describing is a blunt and brutal indictment of how far beyond rationality our criminal justice system — and society by extension — have gone.

Prof. James Duane of the Regent University School of Law explains why even angels devoid of the slightest moral blemish should never speak to police officers, tax collectors or other law-enforcement agents investigating crimes.

Disloyal Opposition: Eight reasons even the innocent shouldn’t talk to the police.

For some reason, I’m disproportionately amused when something I’m already interested in reaches the radar of the the uber-arcane blog Language Log. It’s happened before, of course. Today, the tensions between the Philadelphia Eagles and CB Lito Sheppard crossed over into the the world of the wordy when Lito got into some edgy expressionism.

Language Log » Disappreciation.

While it may seem that just about anybody can rob a bank, you do have to at least keep your gun out of the hands of the other bank customers. “Can you hold this for a second while I put this cash in my “$$$” sack?” But, really — bank patrons ganged up on this fake moustache-wearin’ perp. Nice work!

ABC7 – Robber Shot With Own Gun at Van Nuys Bank.

“It was a good knockdown fight between the security guard and the suspect,” Capt. Jim Miller of the LAPD told the TV station. “On its face it appears that the suspect may have been beginning to gain the upper hand when the customers joined in to assist.”

This was 4 miles from my apartment, and two blocks from a major police station.

Early Friday afternoon and I get text message from Sarah: Can you make a 7:30 movie at Arclight?

As soon as I get it, I call her back: Yes I can make it! We’re going to see Dark Knight with her Dad — key clue #1. Excellent. She tells me she is taking the train there — key clue #2.

So the day goes on, and I’m in a great mood. Grind out some work and then a little after 6, I head out. I have to make it up the 405 though Friday rush hour to the Sherman Oaks Arclight near our apartment. I battle traffic, busses, bikes. I don’t even get impatient, I’m just happy. I just know it will all work out just fine.

I just barely miss a traffic break on the ramp from the 10 to the 405. I’m the last car they let through. I’m so golden.

The 405 is slow, but with an inspiring regularity to the slowness. It’s like this all the time. I can count on its lurching plod through the Sepulveda pass and up over the hill. As every other driver notices, every other driver is a complete moron. But this time, for the millionth miracle, we all fail to crash into each other.

I exit Ventura, I sit through the 5th longest light in America. It’s 7:08. I’m feeling smooth and confident.

I get my ticket to enter the parking garage. The line stretches around the corner and up the ramp out of sight. And it ain’t moving. I don’t get worried. I’m listening to John Mayer. It’s all good. After two minutes thing get going. I’m up the ramp. I’m passing dozens of cars with their turn signals waiting for a spot, as I ascend to the much more sedate upper level.

I park.

I sit in the car waiting through the guitar solo in the live version of “Gravity.” I can afford it, it’s only 7:16! I can’t describe the feeling of things being right in the world. Great music, about to see my great girlfriend, and see an undoubtedly great movie. I get out and make my way. It’s a long walk through the Galleria to the theater. I decide to call Sarah and make sure she didn’t get stuck somewhere. She did say she was taking the train.

The train?

There is no train to the Sherman Oaks Galleria. I hadn’t really thought about it. Surely she meant the Orange Line bus that uses its own bus corridor. It’s very much like a train, doesn’t use the streets.

She picks up as I’m walking past Fuddruckers. She’s already here! Great! I’m almost there, I say, and hang up. I go past Ben & Jerry’s and the pieces all slot into place at once. There’s no train to Sherman Oaks, but the train does go to Hollywood, to the Hollywood Arclight. Her dad wouldn’t come up to the Sherman Oaks Arclight, would he? I call Sarah back.

Umm, what Arclight are you at?

Five minutes later I’m in line to exit the parking garage. It’s a long line and it’s not moving. I’m completely still. I’m experiencing a deep self-directed fury that rages in my center and causes my whole being to ache and spasm. But, on the outside I am a rock. I go home and take the dogs for a walk. A long walk.

Flipping finally!

‘Ultimate Matrix’ Blu-ray Coming in October | High-Def Digest.

This took long enough. And, they wonder why Blu-Ray is slow to take off.

I needed another stamp on my OGMC* membership card, so I tagged along with Alex G. and Steve D. to the Nokia last night to catch none other than Steely Dan. To make a long solo short, they took their sweet time getting to the “hits,” and boy do they have a few weak and brittle skeletons in the old closet mixed in with the treasures. Parts of the show were hard to get through, but eventually they got to “Hey Nineteen,” eventually they got to “Josie,” eventually they got to “Peg,” eventually they even got to “Kid Charlemagne” — sadly, no surprise Kanye appearance, though. Finished up strong. Pretty strong, with a big “except” however: After the first and only encore wrapped with the classic “FM“, it quickly became apparent that Fagen and Becker were not going to do “Deacon Blues.” (“Blue” it off?) They were not going to do “Do It Again.” (As in, not going to?) They were not going to do “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.” (I guess she lost it, after all?) They were not even going to do “Reelin’ In The Years.” (The one that got away?)

We were stunned. Everyone around us was stunned.

I don’t think this is forgivable honestly.

I wonder how much of this is just lingering bitterness from their bloody feud with the Eagles from back in the day. Here’s the real story of how The Eagles came to do guest vocals on “FM.”

* Old Guy Music Club