Affording cell phone service

Recently I replaced my cell phone and my wife's phone with new ones. As I was doing so, I was quite careful about not getting a phone that would require me to change my cell phone plan. Many of the new phones (at least on Sprint), can't be activated on the plan I have. My plan is over 7 years old; I got it when I first got my Handspring Treo 300. This plan originally cost $85/month which included unlimited data, unlimited picture mail, unlimited SMS, 2000 anytime minutes, free mobile to mobile (on Sprint), and a second line. Since then, I've been able to get some additional discounts on it and I've added 2 lines to the plan (for my parents). Now I pay about $90/month including taxes for the 4 lines (unlimited data and SMS is only on the primary line).

Let's compare this plan to what it would cost for an iPhone plan on AT&T. A 2100 minute plan for 2 lines costs $109.99 + $9.99 for each additional line. Data for the iPhone is $30/month and unlimited messaging is $20/month. So to get a comparable iPhone plan for me and standard phones for my family, it would cost me $180/month + taxes which is more than twice what I currently pay.

If we just look at individuals, we're talking about $39.99 for 450 minutes + $30 data + $20 for messaging. That is $90/month + taxes for a single line!

It turns out that I've basically written about this before, but aimed at teenagers.

Maybe I'm just cheap, but I can't justify spending more on cell phone service. This might change later on, but for now, I'll stick with what I have. If I was more mobile and didn't work from home, maybe I could justify the added cost, but my cell phone needs are pretty basic. It's kind of funny saying that as I work for a company that provides wireless data solutions to companies!

Review: Ryobi One+ 18V Cordless Combo Kit

About a year ago, I wrote about getting the Ryobi One+ 18V Cordless Lithium-Ion 4-Piece Combo Kit. Once I got the kit, I put the tools to the test and was very pleased with it. I used the reciprocating saw (much larger than the 12V version) and the circular saw (again, larger than the 12V version) to remove a tree. Both tools worked acceptably. However, the circular saw started making a grinding noise, so it went in for service.

I've used my tools on and off since then and recently bought 2 more tools that go with the Ryobi One 18V line and am more than happy than the line of products. They aren't the most expensive products and aren't professional quality, but this kit has everything I need to do projects around the house. A few weeks back, I used a number of the tools to build a stand for our clothes dryer; I never had a circular saw before and never had a drill with so much power.

Pros

• Powerful tools for home use.
• Easy to swap batteries.
• Fairly long lasting batteries.
• Reconditioned saves a few bucks and probably doesn't make a big difference in quality.
• Magentic screw tray on the drill is handy.

Cons

• Flashlight is kind of pointless.
• Quality is questionable; the tools won't hold up on a job site.
• Circular saw is a little small; a 5 1/2" blade will barely cut through a 2x4. If you accidentally lift the saw, you won't cut through the bottom of the 2x4.
• Extended use of drill may give you blisters; the drill is a bit heavy and the grip could be more comfortable.

Summary

While I was originally just trying to replace my old cordless drill, I now realize that by not having the right tools, really hampered my ability to do projects. This combo kit provides the right pieces for a homeowner that needs to do small, weekend projects. There are more expensive kits and tools, but they may be overkill for people like me that occasionally do home projects. If you're in the market for a cordless drill, definitely consider a kit that has options for other tools. (I bought a jigsaw and a finish sander to go with the tool line.)

I know that Ryobi isn't the most trusted name in tools, but the versatility of the product line and low cost of this, make it a winner in my book.

Is more security a solution?

I just heard on the news that the TSA and local police were beefing up more security at the Detroit airport. For off, this sounds like closing the barn door after the horses have left. Second off, the flight didn't originate from Detroit (it didn't even originate in this country)! So adding more security in Detroit won't help flights coming into the airport. Wow, brilliant.

(I hope the news just got this wrong, because if someone actually decided this, it seems like a complete waste to me.)

End of "Sacrifice the Tree" Holiday

While Christmas was yesterday, I consider today the end of the holiday as it's when I started to see Christmas trees ready for recycling. While running today, I saw a number of trees at a local drop off facility. This seems like such a waste to me; forget the environmental impact (I'll get to that later), but if you went to the effort of finding a tree, lugging it home, putting decorations on it, and putting gifts under it, wouldn't you at least want to keep it for a few more days? I wonder if some people took the tree down right after the gifts were removed from beneath it?

In our local paper today, there was an article about recycling Christmas trees where Environmental Services Program Director Lynne France of Chula Vista said:

Christmas trees are not as environmentally horrible as everyone thinks, because they are plantation grown for the purpose of being a Christmas tree. It's not like they are cutting down old-growth forests to give you a Christmas tree.

Is she really that clueless or did that just make for a good quote? The cutting down of the trees isn't the only environmental impact. Consider that the trees are cut down (primarily) with chainsaws or other motorized equipment which burn fuel and contribute more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Then the trees are trucked from where they are grown/chopped down to Christmas tree lots which could be pretty far away. Then people drive to the lots to pick up the trees. After they're done with the trees, people either drive to dispose of them or have them picked up (for single family houses in the city of San Diego, those with trees can leave them at the curb and they'll be picked up with other green waste which shouldn't cause the Environmental Services folks to have to make another trip), then motorized equipment (chippers) are used to convert the trees into mulch. So, if you think that there is little environmental impact from the trees just because they were grown specifically for the purpose of being Christmas trees, you're clearly mistaken.