Jack’s Old & Busted Blog

Cool site with real-looking sci-fi props (masterreplicas).

(website): “The question of whether the teachers in this group claim to be enlightened is usually left unanswered.”

A fascinating discussion of money.

(mises.org): Imagine Gilligan’s Island without the Howells and their paper dollars. Without money, commodities exchange directly: coconuts for fish, fish for bamboo, etc. But even with barter, some commodities are more ‘marketable’ than others.

Well, the phone transplant was a success, and I now possess a new Sanyo 4920 (sanyo.com). It just about fits what I wanted, and has an awesome 5.5 hours of talk time (and it was only $50 after my “You still have that phone?” rebate). I’ve had it since Sunday and have yet to see the battery indicator budge, and that’s with one charge. So no phonecam and no web access (although it’s available on this phone). I hope it lasts as long as the last one.

Funny thing about cell phones, you never realize how much you rely on them until they act up or go missing. I’ve been reading science fiction recently which explores some natural conclusions of our dependency on communications technology. As the technologies of cameras, PDAs, phones, and mobile web devices merge, it’s scary to think of how much of our lives we’ll be carrying around in our hands, and how much influence the information we get from them will have on our choices.

One surprising feature: You can wipe your contacts and lock this phone remotely by sending an email (with a special command and password) to the handset. Because so many people are trying to get my contacts list, I’m sure I’ll be using this feature often.

(website): “Bikes Against Bush is an interactive protest/performance occurring simultaneously online and on the streets of NYC during the 2004 Republican National Convention. Using a wireless Internet enabled bicycle outfitted with a custom-designed printing device, the Bikes Against Bush bicycle can print text messages sent from web users directly onto the streets of Manhattan in water-soluble chalk.”

Well, the inevitable has happened. After three years, my trusty Sanyo 4700 has finally “ceased and desisted.” It was wonky last weekend, but I smacked it on the gearshift of the truck a few times and it worked again. I guess you can’t expect electronics to last forever. The worst part is that I’m totally non-plussed with the selections available through Sprint (sprint). I don’t want a camera phone, Internet browsing, scratch-and-sniff, or whatever other “features” they want to upsell me on. I just want a phone that’s tough and has oodles of battery life. Oh, wait. That’s a land-line.

A quick search found this. Who knew blogging could be so profound?

(alistapart): Every revision requires new writing, new words that become the essence of the site. Living sites are only as good as today’s update. If the words are dull, nobody will read them, and nobody will come back. If the words are wrong, people will be misled, disappointed, infuriated. If the words aren’t there, people will shake their heads and lament your untimely demise.