[RPG] rolled when using fishing tackle to pull in a fish

By RAW you are correct, using a tower shield for cover negates its AC bonus.

As you said, the item description is ambiguous, but if you go to the tower shield entry in the armor and shield table, you see the following footnote attached:

A tower shield can instead grant you cover. See the description.

That makes these sentences,

In most situations, it provides the indicated shield bonus to your AC. As a standard action, however, you can use a tower shield to grant you total cover until the beginning of your next turn.

Pretty unambiguous.

Side note: The tower shield entry from Paizo's SRD has the following:

When using a tower shield in this way, you must choose one edge of your space. That edge is treated as a solid wall for attacks targeting you only. You gain total cover for attacks that pass through this edge and no cover for attacks that do not pass through this edge (see Combat).

However, KRyan IS right about the tower shield being super weak. Es lo que hay.

By RAW, an object is a single designated thing that isn't alive. In my opinion RAI extends to obvious containers.

The teleport spell states (emphasis mine):

This spell instantly transports you and up to eight willing creatures of your choice that you can see within range, or a single object that you can see within range, to a destination you select. If you target an object, it must be able to fit entirely inside a 10-foot cube, and it can’t be held or carried by an unwilling creature.

This wording indicates it only applies to a single object since it does not say all objects. It also makes no exceptions for containers and their contents.

For example, if you could transport anything in a container all you would have to do is build a makeshift 10 X 10 X 10 wooden cage and call it a large box. Then you could teleport 1000 cubic feet of whatever you want because you targeted the container.

Personally, I would allow transporting obvious containers like chests, bags of holding, boxes, jars, etc because that seems in keeping with the intent of the game mechanics. It also avoids the unnecessary confusion and ceaseless arguing over just how many separate objects make up a single carriage.

I would say that common sense needs to prevail. If the contents of a table would fit in a standard chest, there's no real reason to prevent players from designating the table or shelf as a container for the purpose of transport. Especially if you're willing to let them just throw it in a Santa Claus bag and transport that anyways.

Now, if the players were trying to be deliberately game breaking with it, you can always have fun. Let's say they stack the treasure eight feet tall on a small bench and transport it. When they arrive, the mound of treasures topples, and riches are scattered everywhere. Small street urchins, poor folk, homeless beggars and Paul's girlfriend are all seen sprinting in to scoop up as much as possible. The player's are able to recover X % of the treasure before the rest disappears, and the guards come by and fine/imprison them for starting a riot.

That's just my opinion though. I don't mind people bending the rules a bit to do some ridiculous stuff, but I bend back a bit to show them I'll be just as ridiculous in response.