The answer so far as I can tell is that no, I cannot use my bitcoin in the real world. I cannot hold them, I cannot buy starbucks with them, I cannot trade them at any shop in town that I am aware of. I cannot call my broker and buy them or buy anything tangible using them. For me and 99.9% of americans they're still an imaginary experiment.
This line of reasoning is quite weak, since it's easy to exchange them for USD and then spend the USD.
You can also use them directly to buy prepaid credit cards...