Recycling used cell phones

This is a random post, but I thought I'd share anyway.

I ordered a hands-free headset for my cell phone.* The package came with a mail-in envelope for used cell phones as part of Motorola's cell phone recycling program. The program pays for postage, accepts all brands and models, and you can even send in chargers and other accessories. It refurbishes and resells the phones, or recycles the ones it can't refurbish. Proceeds go to participating cash-starved schools, and you keep the heavy metals contained in the phones and batteries out of our landfills.**

I've kept my old phones, and over the past six years I have accumulated four, which isn't bad if you consider I have two Brazilian and two U.S. I'm sending in three.***


*Toolish, I know, but it is hard to talk on the phone while cooking or gardening. This way I can multi-task. I don't plan to be seen in public wearing the borg-like earpiece.

**I gather that Motorola sells/donates the phones to starving people in developing countries, thus flooding their market with cheap, old technology. The no longer useable phones in the developing countries if not given to someone else, are then thrown on the side of the road, thus contaminating their water supply and landfills, if any, with the heavy metals from the phones. But at least we've exported our pollution. NIMBY!

***One Brazilian is being kept for my eventual return, whenever that may be. 2008?

Solamente queremos estadounidenses que hablan ingles

The Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch made national news today with its passage of two anti-immigrant city ordinances. The first declares English the official language; the second fines apartment complex owners for renting units to illegal immigrants, among other things.* Both passed the city council unanimously.

These two measures are incredibly stupid and raise a host of constitutional issues. I don't live close enough to shop in Farmers Branch, but even if I did I'm mindful that boycotts can backfire.

Sadly, the anti-immigrant fervor is not confined to the Dallas suburbs, as members of the 2007 Texas Legislature filed a host of bills targeting migrants. The legislature appears to be continuing its fine tradition of hate and unproductivity. 2003 was the (extended) session of hate the Democrats;** 2005 was the session of hate the gays.

*Not surprisingly, an ordinance fining business owners for hiring illegal immigrants wasn't voted on, presumably because while they don't want illegals living in their city or speaking anything but English, they still need them to clean their houses, wait their tables, and mow their lawns.

**Once again, I would like to point out that but for the 2003 re-redistricting, Texans would chair four House Committees [Rules - Frost; Agriculture - Stenholm; Homeland Security - Turner; Science - Hall (he wouldn't have switched)].

Election reflection

I certainly enjoyed watching the election returns come in last night, and all day today I alternated between feeling smug and giddy. The events of the past two days only reinforced my belief in karma.

Yay gridlock; yay elected officials being forced to deal with the other half they don't like.

Despite my obsessive attention to the election coverage, I have yet to see anyone in TX remark how had it not been for the 2003 re-redistricting, Texans would be in line to chair FOUR House committees - Rules, Agriculture, Homeland Security, and Science. But thanks to Tom DeLay, our pussy governor (to which we will be subjected to four more years), and the lackeys in the legislature, we've got no one. TX *might* get Intelligence, but only after Pelosi fulfills a grudge and then pisses off the Congressional Black Caucus by passing up impeached ex-federal judge Rep. Hastings for Rep. Reyes. My former employer and the ubiquitous crazy Houston rep everyone thought was my former employer will chair subcommittees, but that's not the same.

In local races, Dallas County is now officially Democratic. All but one Republican judge was swept from office (there was only one Democratic judge as of Monday). I don't think this is a good thing; I wonder if the staunch "elect Republican judges!" people will reconsider our ill-advised system of electing judges. Also, the D for District Attorney won an upset. Even the sky was blue this morning.

In other, much more important news, does anyone else think that Melrose is a total bitch? I know she's competitive and one of the best contestants and all, but what a beyotch. Now that Anchal is gone, Melrose won't be able to make any fat comments.

Also, I planted about 100 bulbs this past weekend. I should have waited two weeks, but I thought that cold weather was finally here. I was not expecting a high of 85 today. Now they are going to start growing only to freeze and die in three weeks. Great.

Bar results

Yay me.