I upgraded to the 3G iPhone the week it came out (even though there was no 3G where I lived (yet)) and I’ve still got my eye on a WiFi iPad.  I just can’t wait until Christmas to see if Apple and Verizon can come to terms (and if Apple will build a CDMA version or if they will wait for LTE).

Eventually, the AT&T network in Blacksburg, VA improved, I could use the phone in my house if I stood by the window in the dining room or our bedroom (but not where my home office was).  We moved to Raleigh, NC last summer and there was decent coverage out where we live in Apex.  There were still a few places where I didn’t have any service that were regular travel destinations (a few clients in VA and NC). I used open WiFi an Skype when I needed to make a call, but eventually broke down and bought a Verizon Wireless MiFi which works just about everywhere with higher speed (and allows me to make Skype calls from my iPhone to boot).

I was still on the fence since we are moving to a new location near Ithaca, NY and our new landlord said that the only network with any signal out where we are moving is Verizon. I considered the $150 (and no extra fees) network extender, but that would only work in and around my home … what about the drives to the grocery store, or drives to and from town?

The coup de gras was just the other day on a pretty big road between Raleigh and Chapel Hill, in the suburbs. I couldn’t make a call while my wife was gabbing away on her Verizon phone.  I had to ask her to get off the phone (with her mother) and make my call from her phone.  Later that day, even with signal (that was flipping between Edge (2G) and 3G) I couldn’t use my phone for any data. My contract is coming due so this seemed like the appropriate time.

I don’t have my Android yet, but I just ordered the HTC Incredible from Verizon Wireless and it won’t ship for a few weeks. I will do my best to post unbiased reviews and comparisons when I get my new phone. I will admit that I’m a huge fan of Apple products.  I bought an iMac when the Core 2 Duo processor was introduced, I have a MacBook Pro, Airport Extreme and Express, two iPods, my wife also has a MacBook Pro and a Touch, and I’m itching for an iPad. So the Android has a high bar to get over.  I will have my 30 days of evaluation to determine if I can live with the phone (and if Steve makes some unexpected announcement at WWDC).

I’m sad to have to do this, but the phone is only as good as the network it is on and I’m finally fed up enough with AT&T that I’m moving on.

On the up-side, I have a lot of paid iPhone apps.  I may just be forced to purchase an iPad to run all those apps I own .

I recently moved from Blacksburg, VA where there was a big push for local shopping and local dining (buy local. eat local. be local.). We took that to heart and while living in Blacksburg we dined at local establishments rather than chains (Blacksburg has actually been pretty successful (in the past) at keeping the chains at a distance). We shopped at the Blacksburg Farmer’s Market on weekends and we tried to keep it local for shopping when we could (we’ve been boycotting Wal-mart for years and my wife can claim not to have been in one for at least 5 years while I had to cheat once).

We moved to Raleigh, NC this summer and have found it much more difficult to keep it local. The presence of the chains and dining preferences of friends of ours have made it difficult, but as for ourselves, we would much rather eat at Daniels than at Macaroni Grill or Carrabas to name just a single type of cuisine and a few chains. We have tried the local Farmer’s Market and when in the grocery store look for the produce which is “locally grown”.  We also try to shape our home cooking with seasonal fare (e.g. with vegetables that are in season (no summer squash in November, etc.)).

However, recently on a cross continent trip of interviews, we stayed in Guelph, Ontario for a weekend. I was amazed at the focus on “Buy Ontario” while visiting. Every restaurant we visited highlighted the local ingredients on the menu (specifically local meats and sausages), local brews highlighted locally grown grain, signs on the side of the road encouraged buying local and from what I could gather when interacting with locals this is a huge trend. I’m not sure if it’s penetrated Toronto yet, but while out in the smaller suburban towns, it was very noticeable.

The benefits of buying local produced food and shopping at local stores (as opposed to corporate giants) are too numerous to be counted and I just don’t know why it hasn’t been embraced in the US and regionally where we are now with more gusto including at the policy level. Our reliance on factory everything (farming, butchering, growing, packaging, shipping, etc.) and the health codes that go along with those factories don’t actually make us safer and most likely have made us less so, cost more money, do more harm to the environment, create fewer jobs, and have a huge cultural impact with the loss of local and regional trends and flavors.

Myself, I plan on continuing what I’m doing and looking local before looking at Wallyworld. I will continue to shop at the Farmer’s Market and am even looking for a local CSA (if you know of one around Apex, NC, please drop me an e-mail).

What are you doing to support your locality?

What can we do to encourage “local friendly” policy?

Not to mention the fact that I almost failed the computer test (more on that later).

I did the smart thing prior to getting in the car and driving to the NC DOT offices. I looked online and determined all the information I would need and stuck all that information in a folder.  The required information includes proof of residency, proof of age and identity, proof of liability insurance (huh?), and an original social security card.

To gather all those documents, I had two utility bills from my new home, my Virginia drivers license, a certified birth certificate, my dog-eared social security card, and an expired passport.  I had just bought a new car the previous weekend and hadn’t contacted my insurance agent yet (in the State of North Carolina, you have 30 days to update your insurance company). My insurance company (USAA) took all my information and sent me a link in e-mail to a PDF which is my proof of insurance. It was August the 25th and the insurance certificate said the policy was valid August 26th through March of 2010. Of course the nice ladies at the NC DOT license office in Fuquay-Varina were the ones to point this out.

I arrive at the NC DOT office in Fuquay-Varina at a respectable 9am. There is no line but rather a sign-in sheet.  I see several other folks in the lobby, sign my name, and proceed to wait. Just in the 20-30 minutes before I got called, I could already see some serious process issues that the NC DOT seems to be suffering from.  The computer where people take their tests is not linked very well with the back office, the last step in the process when you get your picture taken is not linked to the back office (and if so, it’s not linked very well). I can see the opportunities not only for someone to get a license with someone else’s picture on it, but can see some serious bucks for some process consultant to come in and fix several issues.

I get called and take all my documentation up to the desk and have a seat. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the person helping me was rude, but she wasn’t courteous in the least. When she asked for my proof-of-insurance, I hand over my newly minted policy on my shiny new car. She kindly points out that it isn’t active until tomorrow (the 26th of August). I explain that I just bought the car and that under North Carolina law, my old policy is valid for 30 days. She reponds saying that, “this doesn’t prove you are insured today.”  Not to mention the fact that I’ll be using the license in the future (including tomorrow), or that I could have easily just created a fake proof-of-insurance certificate in any old word processor (hint hint) as they don’t actually validate the policy. Basically, there are many many ways I could have circumvented the proof part, but I digress.

Why do you need to have insurance to be *able* to drive? If you can take the drivers school and pass the test shouldn’t you be able to be licensed to drive? What if you don’t own a car? There is an exception where you can get a license for fleet vehicles if you don’t have insurance, but what if you want to borrow your brother’s car every once in a while? I understand having insurance to get a title or to register your vehicle, but to obtain a drivers license?

We eventually figure out that I can contact my insurance company and have them FAX a copy of my current policy on my car that I just sold to the offices there in Fuquay-Varina. However, that policy was just cancelled by me on the phone a few hours ago. This ended up working, but in my opinion in no way provided “proof” in fact, it was a cancelled policy!

While we’re waiting for the FAX, I am allowed to take the computer test. Let me preface this by saying that I’m a pretty good and safe driver. I know most if not all of the rules and haven’t had a ticket in years (knock-knock). I knew all the signs (even the ones where they just indicate the shape and color (like a yellow circle, which I happen to know is a rail-road crossing)), knew when to stop for school busses, etc. I also graduated from high school before “No Child Gets Ahead” so my testing skills are probably not up to par (even though I seemed to have graduated from college with an engineering degree). The test questions on that test were totally bogus. In fact, it’s stated on the state website that MOST DRIVERS FAIL the test on their first attempt.  There is even one company that will provide you with sample test questions … for a fee (take a sample test here for free)! It’s not because these are bad drivers that don’t know the rules, it’s because the questions suck!

I passed the test with 5 incorrect answers (missing 6 out of 25 is a failing score) and on my last question I was guessing and crossing my fingers.

While waiting, my insurance arrives and I go up to finish the process. There is some issue with submitting my record. Some system they keep referring to as “Social Security” is down and my record is failing to go through. It’s been over two hours already so they suggest that I go to lunch and hopefully when I return the system will be back up. I’m not stupid enough to think that the “Social Security” system went down. Rather, some system that the state runs was having issues. I go to lunch, do some shopping and return. The system still won’t process my record while others are going through fine (including other renewals, other out-of-state changes (which mine is)). They are on the phone with tech support for good 30 minutes and the decision is to start over and go through the process from scratch, which happens to work.

I get my picture taken, and am told I can expect my license in the mail in two weeks. However, if I don’t receive it, I’m to call a number they give me (I’m not holding my breath).

Here’s my beef. The system isn’t designed to ensure that people *can* drive. All these other checks and balances would be easy to circumvent and don’t really prove anything.  What was that “Social Security” system anyway?  What is it accomplishing and does it have ANYTHING to do with my ability to operate a car?