26 November 2006

Wii can all play now...

I've been a fan of Nintendo from the beginning. I've owned every major Nintendo console, including the Gamecube, and loved them all. I've known about the Nintendo Wii since it was codenamed "Revolution" and in the development stages. I've been excited about it ever since game developers had a chance to try it and loved it. They said it would truly revolutionize gaming. The Wii has gotten more support from third-party developers than any previous Nintendo console.

On the 19th, I woke up an hour early to buy the Wii only to find hundreds of people waiting in lines at every retail store I could think of. Even Sears Essentials had a line of people who camped out the night before. It would have to wait another week. Black Friday came and went, and no major retailers got any significant quantities.

I read online last night that Best Buy's Sunday advertisement for today stated that each store would have a minimum of 12 units to sell. After studying till 4AM last night, I woke up at 8AM this morning and headed to the Tustin Marketplace Best Buy, which was set to open at 10AM, to find a Nintendo Wii.

I had driven by at 3AM last night, and the parking lot was empty. To my dismay, this morning there were approx. 200-300 ppl standing in line. Not phased, I jumped on the freeway and headed to the Best Buy near the Block in Orange. The area is very commercial, so I figured I'd have a better chance of grabbing a Wii there. I got in line at 8:45AM. It looked like there were 60-65 ppl in front of me. Rumors were flying that they only had 20-30 Wii's. At 9:15, they began passing out tickets. They had 50 Wii's. I was number 45.

I waited 2.5 hours, but finally walked out with my Wii and a copy of Zelda.

08 November 2006

The Democratic Agenda

1. Honest Leadership and Open Government
Our goal is to restore accountability, honesty and openness at all levels of government. To do so, we will create and enforce rules that demand the highest ethics from every public servant, sever unethical ties between lawmakers and lobbyists, and establish clear standards that prevent the trading of official business for gifts.

2. Real Security
For Democrats, homeland security begins with hometown security. That's why we led the fight to create the Department of Homeland Security and continue to fight to ensure that our ports, nuclear and chemical plants, and other sensitive facilities are secured against attack and support increased funding for our first responders and programs like the COPS program so we keep our communities safe. We want to close the remaining gaps in our security by enacting the 9/11 Commission recommendations.

3. Energy Independence
We will create a cleaner, greener and stronger America by reducing our dependence on foreign oil, eliminating billions in subsidies for oil and gas companies and use the savings to provide consumer relief and develop energy alternatives, and investing in energy independent technology.

4. Econcomic Prosperity and Educational Excellence
Democrats believe that the most effective way to increase opportunity for our families is a high quality, good paying job. The Democratic Party supports fair trade agreements that raise standards for all workers here and abroad, while making American businesses more competitive, and we don’t believe in tax giveaways that reward companies for moving American jobs overseas.

We also believe in balanced budgets and paying down our national debt, while Republicans continue to put huge burdens on future generations by borrowing hundreds of billions of dollars from foreign nations. We want to restore the budget discipline of the 1990s that helped eliminate deficits and spur record economic growth.

Democrats know that the key to expanding opportunity is to provide every child with a strong foundation of education. We will also help expand educational opportunities for college by making college tuition tax deductible, expanding Pell Grants, and cut student loan interest rates.

5. A Healthcare System That Works For Everyone
In the wealthiest, most powerful nation on earth, no one should have to choose between taking their child to a doctor and paying the rent. Democrats are committed to making sure every single American has access to affordable, effective health care coverage. We want to fix the disastrous Medicare Part D and ensure our seniors can afford their prescription drugs.

We also believe in investing in life saving stem cell and other medical research that offers real hope for cures and treatment for millions of Americans.

6. Retirement Security
Democrats believe that after a life of hard work, you earn a secure retirement. Our commitment to protecting the promise of Social Security is absolute.

Dear America,


Originally uploaded by eyduck.