In somewhat of a disappointing move, Sprint's new EVO 4G phone will come with some strings attached - specifically a $10 premium data charge. When inquired about this fee, Sprint reps recite a canned statement:

The $10 Premium Data fee is for the rich data experience that HTC EVO provides. Mr. Hesse described it best when he described the EVO experience like going from regular TV to a High Definition TV. HTC EVO’s features are custom made for data-loving customers.

Except that, straight from Mr. Hesse's mouth is a contradictory statement:

You see, people aren't upset with a $10 charge for this phone. But to go about and say that it is because a rich data experience that other Android based phones provide, that's simply false. It would be understandable if those that could take advantage of 4G had an extra fee, but this is no more than a $10 hardware charge.

If Sprint wants to make a statement in the wireless community, they need to offer more than just the best phone, but offer the best phone at competitive prices. The question they need to ask is not if people will upgrade to the Evo or sign up for a new plan, but if consumers with an iPhone or Droid will jump ship from ATT and Verizon to Sprint.

Nickeling and diming us with crap like this will not make customers happy. This is even moreso when Hesse shows commercials asking us to email him if we are not satisfied with the service offered by his company and then having canned statements that make no sense fed back to us, with my favorite being that having two cameras on the phone will double productivity.

I was pretty much a lock to go and get an EVO 4G and give up my beloved SERO plan, but after these types of shenanigans, Sprint is no better compared to Verizon or T-Mobile when it comes to Android offerings. Sure, the EVO 4G is the best phone on the market now, but the iPhone was the best phone before that. The chances of the next killer phone being exclusive to Sprint are slim-to-none, and as technology advances, we'll see similar Android phones popping up by the end of 2010.

Now my question turns to - Is the EVO 4G really worth $1200 more over a two year contract than my current SERO plan? Time will tell...

Ah, Rober Sarver...Congratulations on tainting sports by mixing in a dash of politics.You've heard of oil and water, right? By doing this, I sincerely hope your team loses San Antonio Spurs.

People don't watch sports for political opinions - we watch it for entertainment and to escape the harsh realities of a partisan world.

Bravo! You've created a new jersey to "take a stand" on the issue, in what can only be conceived as a cheap and offensive marketing ploy. First, you show an amazing lack of conscience by jumping on a sensational issue instead of reviewing the bill and judging it on its merit. Second, you've shown that in your attempt to pander to the pro illegal-immigration crowd for free publicity and increased merchandise sales, that you don't understand the Spanish language.

You added a nifty word to the jersey - Los, meaning "The." However, the word "Suns" is not a Spanish word. Either "sol" or "soles" would be more appropriate.

Yes Alex, I'll take attention whores that speak Spanglish for $2000 please...

Recently, in my quest for knowledge, I picked up a 932 page book titled A Patriot's History of the United States - From Columbus's Great Discovery To The War On Terror which is a nice play on words of the book A People's History of the United States, in which America is more oft criticized, rather than praised.

While only in the second chapter, I see parallels to what is happening today, and why some of my non-American friends don't understand things here both socially and economically:

"The final source of unreset originated in the flawed nature of mercantilism itself. Mercantilist doctrine demanded that the individual subordinate his economic activity to the interests of the state. Such an attitude may have been practicable in Rome or in Charlemagne's empire; but the ideas of the Enlightenment soon gave Americans the intellectual basis for insisting that individuals could pursue wealth for themselves, and give the state only its fair share. It did not help the English that mercantilism was based on a conceptual framework that saw wealth as fixed and limited, meaning that for the government to get more wealth, individuals had to receive less of the fruit of their own labor."

"Having the state pick winners and losers in the fields of enterprise proved disastrous, and not merely because it antagonized the Americans...In Philadelphia, 'Opportunity, enterprise and adversity reinforced each other. A young business man could borrow money and move into trade, challenging the commercial positon of older, more established merchants. His opportunity was ... their adversity.' The rich got richer, but so too did the poor and a large middle class."

What I've discovered in my talks with those from outside America is that they just don't understand our freedoms, both socially and economically. They don't understand that the pie of wealth is not finite, but are in a group that still believes in mercantilism. They do not see that when the state picks winners and losers - General Motors, AIG, etc...that it greatly upsets Americans. Sure, its easy to get on a soap box and berate the rich for, well...being rich, but at the same time, the poor and middle class are also moving up as well! More economically savvy men than myself, such as Arthur Laffer, have proven that for the government to get more wealth, it does not mean we must, as individuals, receive less.

I'm amazed by the depth being covered in this book. While not quite the length of War and Peace, it is nevertheless more in depth than any history book I've run across while in school and I highly recommend it. The amount of sources cited is also unbelievable, which helps it stand apart from a 'this is how it is' book. When looking at history, the only way to ascertain a legitimate opinion is by reading original sources. To have someone tell you how to interpret something removes the critical thinking needed to succeed in life and this book promotes a sense of critical thinking you won't get from watching American Idol or The Daily Show.

Someone at Vimeo was kind enough to upload the video in its entirety. While I might normally ignore CPAC, I made sure to catch Beck's speech. For those of you that spew hatred at Beck - typically for simply being on Fox News or disagreeing with Obama - this is a must watch. Both parties are to blame for the fiscal irresponsibility. Common sense is crucial. There is no blind hate being pushed by Beck, only a desire to learn from history and past mistakes.

Calculated Risk posted their weekly summary and a look ahead for next week with two troubling charts.

First, the percent of jobs lost - not unemployment rate - is hovering around 5.2%, making it the worst of any recession since figures were recorded in 1948. That is to say, that this recession has had the most dramatic effect on our work force.

Second, and perhaps more troubling, is the statistic of workers unemployed for more than 26 weeks. Currently, the percentage of unemployed for this long is at a record 4.0% with 6.13 million workers. The early 1980s recession was the next highest, with 2.5% unemployed for more than 26 weeks.

The recession has not only hit hard, but it has been sustained. Unemployment levels can flatten, but until we see those out of work for a long period of time finding work, the economy has a long way to go.

No, I'm not agreeing with Noam Chomsky...for those of you who even know who Chomsky is.

In my daily news, I stumbled upon an article in which Chomsky compares the right wing media to "Nazis." The article was unimportant and meaningless, but a comment summed up the climate of the nation. There are those that speak out against government, and those who are embracing the government, trying to paint the anti-government crowd as illiterate,  backwards thinking hicks.

Sure, you thought that things were looking better - undefeated and in the top 25, with players finally buying in to Rich Rodriguez's philosophies and putting past controversies behind them.

The loss to MSU today probably stings, but you'lve got something to look forward to, and that is the man in the picture - QB Tate Forcier.

Milton Friedman explains the intricacies of Socialism vs Capitalism, and why the latter is better, all while making Phil Donahue look like a fool in the process.

A tale of two poems, one embraces socialism, one capitalism. It is pretty obvious  where I stand, but take a look...The first one is a real poem from 1906 distributed to spread socialism.

In what I can only describe as a warning to buyers of all consumer electronics, just because the item you purchase is sealed does not mean that it has never been tampered with and returned.