Going on day 2 with the iPhone App Store, and I’ve managed to deftly move through 10 of the 12 steps to recovery for App Store addicts.

After installing just about every free app that was available, I’ve since whittled the list down to a handful that I’m finding my groove with.

The big one for me right now is Twittelator, a nice little Twitter client that has me actually using Twitter for reals.

I’m also digging the Pandora app, but I hate that I can’t switch to other apps and have the music keep playing. That and there’s significant lag skipping songs over Edge.

Anyway, I’m putting a hurtin’ on my battery playing around with all of these apps, mostly over Wifi. I’m also finding a lot of the location based ones don’t fare very well over Edge…. still not enough to push me to 3G just yet though.

I upgraded my iPhone to the “unofficial official” 2.0 software today — and all I can say is wow. The App Store kicks some serious boo-tay.

I installed the Pandora app this afternoon. I had “Go with the flow” from QOTSA streaming in my car on the way home. So awesome.

If you already have an iPhone, the App Store is where it’s at. Especially since it looks like the upgrade will really cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of $559.

That’s the $199 price tag for the new phone, plus an extra $240 over 24 months for the new data plan, plus another $120 over 24 months for the text messaging AT&T took out of the iPhone v1 data plan.

10 bucks more a month for the new 3G data plan wasn’t such a big deal, but the fact AT&T is sticking it to you with the text messaging plan is a bit much.

Either way, the App Store is the game changer.

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety”
- Ben MF Franklin, ~1755

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), born after the Watergate scandal, establishes how the government can secretly eavesdrop on Americans in their own country in intelligence investigations.

The US Senate today passed the FISA bill.

Thanks, Barry!