... for cruising. If I need extra control, I'm still in the habit of 10:00 and 2:00. Honestly, I'd rather my arms or hands be hurt in a crash than my head crack the windshield or my ribcage break apart on the steering wheel, so I'll keep the airbags. (A seatbelt, while important to keep from flying out of the car and getting personal with the pavement, doesn't provide great protection against smashing against hard objects within the car.) My hands are softer than the steering wheel; if something's going to hit my face, I prefer the former over the latter.

Yes, this. Amazon's DRM-free mp3 store is what stopped me from pirating music. I could use them in exactly the same way as I did pirated mp3s (burn them to CDs for the car, back them up, put them on any portable player I wanted, etc.), and could download a high quality file of the exact song I wanted in all of six seconds. It's just more convenient than searching for people sharing the song at a decent quality and waiting for it to download, especially if it's from an artist that isn't very popular.

Amazon lets you download the music. It's DRM-free, which is how they originally differentiated themselves from iTunes. Since they launched Cloud Player, they've started saving copies there for you whenever you buy music. I haven't had occasion to download the same song more than once (as I have current backups and my hard drive has not yet moved on to the great beyond), but I'm under the impression that it's unlimited. You can also upload your own music and other files to your account.

If a particular action would be grounds for a restraining order if it occurred between private citizens, a warrant should be required before the police can engage in the same behavior.

... at least for the Desktop. Right-click on the taskbar. Find the "toolbars" option. Add the Desktop toolbar. It doesn't put it in the place it's been since late 1994, but it's at least a useable menu.

Will an airline gate agent scan an iPad?

In my case, it's because my long-haired pets, who stay in the house when I go to work, don't do so well when it gets above 85F. I can program the thermostat to let the temperature creep up to that level when I'm out, but, seeing as I live in Las Vegas, even when set at 85, the air conditioner is going to be on for most of the summer.

Doubtful.