iphones and sleep

This story is a bit sad eh? ….

Greg Packer, the first man in line at Apple’s flagship store in New York is now the proud owner of a 4GB iPhone. But because he hasn’t signed up to a plan, the phone lies dormant.

Packer, who we interviewed last week shortly after he began his 109-hour vigil outside the iconic Fifth Avenue Apple Store, turns out to be something of a professional line sitter.

According to reports, the retired highway maintenance worker has been widely quoted over the years as a member of the public in articles and television broadcasts stretching back to 1995.

Packer was reportedly the first in line when the viewing platform at ground zero at the World Trade Centre opened in 2001; he was at the front of the queue to sign a condolence book at the British consulate after Princess Diana’s death 10 years ago and he was again at the head of the queue in January 2001 at the inauguration of US President George Bush.

Although Packer wasn’t able to tell us how the phone worked, he did say the experience of being first in line was like being a celebrity - “like Bono” - in a crowd. “It was like being a god,” he said in a telephone interview.

Packer said he had been offered “envelopes of money” to give up his poll position but resisted the temptation. “I didn’t want envelopes,” he said. “I wanted a briefcase.”

From the age online.

I don’t mean to judge an entire group of people on just that one guy, but don’t you think Apple devotees are just the teensiest bit irritating? I know that’s heresy, and that right now there will be people angrily throwing their white, designer ipods, their white designer imacs and their white designer iphones at their white designer iwalls, but really don’t you think you should just chill out?

The guys who write South Park got it spot on when they renamed the Toyota Prius the Toyota “Pious”. Apple geeks are pretty much the same. Yes - I know Microsoft sucks. Yes, Apple are probably much better machines/software. Frankly I don’t care. All this talk about i-this and i-that: it just makes my eyes glaze over. And that stupid “Mac guy” makes me want to punch someone. Preferably him, but anyone will do.

Running
I trotted around Croydon and surrounds last night; just my usual 12k run up and down hills.

Since the marathon - which, funnily enough, coincided with the onset of full-strength, undiluted winter - I’ve switched from super-early morning runs to lunch and evening runs.

I’m going to have to ease up on the before bed-time runs though. I find I drop into bed and then lie there, wide awake, for hours. It’s all the adrenaline/dopamine running through the system. It doesn’t aid sleep.

If and when I actually get the chance to sleep, I NEEEEEEED to take it with both hands, so to speak. I’d quite happily give you all the money I have (not much) just don’t take my sleep.