July 11: I'll be there

It's official. I took the day off work. I have a fraternity bro who might be joining me.

I'll be there.

Come July 11, I'll be one of the fools in line at the Ann Arbor Apple Store waiting for an iPhone.

Let me preface that, friends, by saying we live in a humorless time, one fraught with terrible blunders and a creeping National Depression that threatens our very dignity. Where, oh where, can we find a ray of sunshine in these dark times?

Where we can get it - that's what I say.

And it's going to be a hoot. Last year the lines were long in spots, but not as dramatic as everyone thought, and people found ways to pass the time. This year could be different.

The news I've been reading says things may be crazy. The scripts are ready. The lines are forming. And the hour is pretty well known.

If that doesn't make for an exciting adventure (and only 40 minutes away from my front door), what can? What hope do we have?

The whole weekend is turning into a bash of epic proportions. The Return of Driver, a standing-only ticket to the Tigers game, and perhaps even a trip to Toledo with Keith. That, coupled with this weekend's big trip out west to Portland and Parts Unknown, makes for a hectic July.

There's always the possibility that the Ann Arbor Apple store will sell out before I grab one. But then the possibility of getting mugged by some meth-addled junkie outside on State St. is present, too. The only thing that scares me about this entire deal is AT&T and their goddamn rate plan. It means I'll have to pay a bit more each month (about $15) just to use the Jesus Phone. That's the price of progress.

All in all, I'm still grateful I waited a year. I miss the previous iPhone's aluminum backing, but otherwise the 3G iPhone is a better deal. Come July 12, the day after the release, I will finally be able to say I Was There, and I lived to tell the tale.

The end of "none of the above"

It was back in February that a thought first occurred to me: I wouldn't be upset if either Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, or John McCain won the presidency.

Now that Sen. Clinton is out, I feel the same way.

And here's why: at least two of those candidates have high cross-over potential. We in Michigan preferred McCain over Bush in 2000 because of the help of state Democrats, and there are reports of tons of Republicans crossing the red/blue state divide to support Obama.

Now that's cool. Take, on the other hand, the 2004 (or 2000, or 1996) campaigns, where partisan divisions ran deeper than the Hatfields versus the McCoys.

Are we reaching a point in this country where we're attracted to people who aren't so divisive? Are we ready to really bring the country together, instead of appealing to some primary-colored base? Are we ready to get some shit done? Or is this what politicians need to do to survive in our age of hyper-cynicism?

It could be that the folks still running are respectable enough that considerations could go either way. I know I feel it. If McCain were elected, I wouldn't be looking forward to the 2012 election as a solution - not like I would if, say, Romney had slicked his way into the nomination.

On the other side, how can a Democrat not be proud of what Obama's done? My grandma was in near tears at the prospect of electing a black man to president during her lifetime. "And I remember riding on the bus on the way to Florida in the 1950s, when they had to sit in the back," she told me. Part of me feels prouder of our country because we can talk less about a politician's race and more about his "experience" or "substance."

Things may change and November creeps closer. Who knows? The ugliness could come roaring back. But until then, I think there's a real loss of the "none of the above" feelings we've had since 2000. Think about it. Was anyone that excited about Bush vs. Gore? Not until after the election night, when all hell broke loose. Then people got passionate.

In 2004, it was the same story: people picked the person they disliked the least. Is that any way to vote for president?

This time. something has changed. Yes, the candidates offer starkly different ideas about how to govern and run our country. But if Obama suddenly turnes into a salivating, baby-eating hunchback, I'd be just fine with voting for McCain. And if McCain starts ordering e-mails containing launch codes, Obama will be my man with pride.

These men offer vastly different ideas about governing our country, and there's no doubt which way my vote will go. It wasn't always this way, but recent events - like McCain reversing his stance against offshore drilling - have made the difference even clearer.

But he's still a cool guy.

"There is a time to campaign, and a time to govern," McCain said the Tuesday night Obama clinched the nomination. "If I'm elected president, the era of the permanent campaign of the last sixteen years will end. The era of reform and problem solving will begin."

We've heard words like that before, but coming from Sen. McCain, my first instinct is not to break out into hysterical laughter. The guy is different, and he's speaking to something we've all felt: politics is one big PR effort. Maybe this time, though, things are just what they seem. It's hard to imagine either Obama or McCain with some hidden ax to grind - some secret agenda that would mean more money for oil buddies and political offices for golf buddies.

And frankly, I'd trust McCain or Obama's golf buddies over Bush's any day.

Each of the candidates came from an America I can relate to. George Bush didn't; he came from privelege. He's never known want or suffering or struggle. Obama and McCain have, all too well.

There are a lot of people who feel the same way I do. That speaks of good things for our country, and the election. So let's call this the end of the "none of the above" voting philosophy. What do you say?

New adventure?

Perhaps. Only 3 days to get there? No problem.

Gas? That's the problem.

Finding old America in New England.

It's the middle of May, which means it's also time for adventure.

I leave first thing tomorrow morning for the big New England trip - a 10-day quest to discover the roots of our country at its birthplace. The trip starts in Philadelphia, the philosophical center of America, and continues to New Jersey, New York, Boston, and circles into Maine, New Hampshire, and then Vermont. I'll be exploring Revolutionary War sites, famous monuments to our country's birth, and the cities and towns where an entire generation of men found the courage to strike out on their own. I'll also be drinking lots and lots of beer.

Feel free to keep in touch during the trip. I'll have my trusty iBook with me, now with wifi, and will post pictures and progress to my trip blog:

Puritan's Progress

Why "Puritan's Progress?" If you remember, John Bunyan wrote "Pilgrim's Progress" - one of the most famous pieces of English literature - that was subtitled "From this world, to that which is to come." My trip isn't so grand (or so well-written), and instead focuses on "that which already came." This is a history trip, and because our country was founded by religious zealots who got kicked out of their home country, it only makes sense to apply the Puritan work ethic to my travels. And, like Bunyan's character Christian, I'm heading out of the "City of Destruction" (Jackson, MI) to the "Celestial City" (Boston? Bar Harbor? Time will tell...) in search of heavenly light. There's probably no more "heavenly light" left in New York City, or in the entire state of New Jersey, but I do seek the founding philosophy that made America such a fun place to live, work, and watch TV.

I'll have my phone on me, but I prefer e-mail, or comments on the blog. Should I happen to plunge off Mt. Washington, however, and explode in a glorious fireball-induced death, please feel free to take my stuff. Except the Wii. That gets buried with my mangled corpse.

Off I go, friends, on my annual quest. I'll return either Saturday, May 24 or Sunday, May 25 (depending on weather and gumption), with Memorial Day reserved as a return-to-Midwestern-living day.

Ben Franklin set off from Boston to Philadelphia with little more than pocket change and a heart of fire. My car will have tons more stuff, but the fire stuff is the same.

Too-da-loo

Puritan's Progress: my New England trip blog

Working on a blog for my New England trip as a way to keep my friends and family up-to-date on photos and where I'm at, etc.

Feel free to drop in and leave me a comment.

Links of the week.

• Reuse disposable items [from Lifehacker.com]
• Another list of ways to reuse stuff [from Tipnut.com]
• Backlash against green marketing [fromSeth Godin's blog]

That last one is interesting, because I noticed the big brew-haha that went on during the week of Earth Day. Can we really be "green" by buying (and throwing away) more stuff? Probably not.

My Wii number is 6476 1454 1227 5966

It really is everything I'd imagined.

Sure, I played "Super Mario Galaxy" at the Best Buy display this winter. Kirby and I even kicked ass at "Smash Brothers Brawl" at a console in Lansing.

But unless you see it in action, and see it sitting in your living room, there's no judging a Nintendo Wii. You must hold it and play it and experience everything for yourself.

And it all happened by pure, dumb luck. Saturday I was out testing Canon point-and-shoot cameras (deciding between the SD1000 and SD750), because (a) I take forever to purchase something and (b) I like to get the feel of the thing before I plunk down $200. I made up my mind (the SD750) and was about to walk out of Best Buy when I almost ran into a table at the front of the store. They had a Wii dispaly set up, with the new "Mario Kart Wii" everywhere, and I saw the Wii boxes sitting there.

Now, before, I've seen Wii boxes, and everytime I lifted one up in hopes that This Was The Time I was disappointed because the box was empty. "For display only," it would taunt me.

Saturday, though, the box had heft. I lifted it, and gravity told me This Time Was Different. I shook it, and even carried it up to the sales clerk.

"Am I dreaming?" I asked. "Is this for real?"

"Yes," she said. "We've had a few all week long."

Well no shit. I immediately hugged the box in my arms, and went back to the table to start grabbing games. "Mario Kart" was the obvious choice, but - having been out of the video game arena since...well, since the original Playstation - I was a virtual rookie. What cables do I buy? What controllers would I need? Did I need to buy it dinner before I took it home?

Thankfully the helpful guy in the video game section steered me toward Nintendo-shaded bliss. Yes, the one controller and nunchuck was in the box; no, I wouldn't need those component cables; yes, "Mario Kart" would replace family and friends in due time.




This is what I bought: a rechargeable battery station, a copy of "Mario Kart Wii," and the gleaming-white Wii. It cost $350, all-together.

I didn't want to spend anymore than that because I knew I wasn't thinking clearly. I called Don and told him the good news, and walked out of the store a changed man. But I knew I'd be back. "Mario Galaxy" is still out there, unclaimed, and those classic controllers to play the old standards (you can play the original "Mario Bros." and "Donkey Kong Country" - my old NES and SNES favorites!) have to be purchased.

All in due time. I got the thing home and, as luck would have it, left for Kalamazoo for the night. Sunday, however, I was back and carefully unpacking and hooking up the Wii and its sensor bar and charging the controllers. Getting online was a snap, making my Mii was a hoot, and watching the disc slot glow and throb like my iBook's sleep light was a true joy.




Now I'm planning on taking the Wii to my grandma's (I'd love to punch her legally sometimes - now's my chance) and my dad's (he'll love the golf and baseball), and to hold the First Invitational Alpine Lake Apartments Mario Kart Wii Tournament (entry fee: one beer).

My teenage years were spent either working or playing video games, but from college on I strayed from the world of Mario and Mortal Kombat. There's too much life to live, even though I sometimes will pop "NCAA Football" in and rush for a few hundred yards. Life is still too short to waste it on video games. That doesn't mean a few hours a week can't be spent racing my little brother Andrew, who lives clear out in California, and enjoying a tennis match or two with friends. That's what I like about the Wii: instead of the stanard controller/game combo the new Playstation and XBox platforms offer, with Nintendo you get a whole new experience. It's social. And it's fun.

And the search is finally over. Game on.