50/50

So I’m sitting here, and I’m kind of torn about how I should be feeling. On one part, I’m really, REALLY angry with my job. It should show by the way I had to repeat that word right?

You see, my company is dying and its parents are those kinds of people that are too stupid to just pull the plug hoping that someone they care for will come out of brain-dead coma that they’ve been in for the last two years. So what do they do instead? They keep dumping loads of money frivolously hoping for a second chance.

I have news for you Hollywood Video: It isn’t going to happen. Why? Because you were too busy thinking of the next color scheme for your big sale promotion that you missed the technology bandwagon and now can only hope to play a fruitless catch up game.

Both Hollywood and Blockbuster have done this song and dance, time and time again.
Online service, kiosks, it’s already been done. If you actually wanted to save your company think of something innovative, not imitative.

To be frank, I doubt there is little that can be done to save rental stores, and it’s really the consumer’s fault. Everyone has been so intent on saving money with their spending that driving all this business towards websites like eBay and Amazon have crushed local sellers.

What will end up sucking for everyone is that I foresee a time in the not so distant future where Redbox will be in legal trouble and Netflix will eventually raise prices and/or start charging money for all the free streaming. When this happens people will be in an uproar only to turn back to their local video store only to find them a vacant building instead.

Plus let’s not forget all the people who aren’t technically savy who will be completely cut off. It’s a messy business, these Interwebs.

All I can ask is why don’t rental chains just charge lower price on their products to be more completive? Clearly the overhead isn’t helping them any right now by current standards. Attract more business and get over your pride.

Because right now, you have a staff of employees who have busted their humps like you’ve asked and now you’ve cut our hours, made us work by ourselves with no potty breaks and we’re becoming very very disgruntled.

All in all, I really need to find a new and more importantly REAL job.

In other news, I’m pumped for another FIVE-A-THON. Recently, we began going down to our local theater to watch not one, not two, not even three but four films. Our first set was, Law Abiding Citizen, The Invention of Lying, Surrogates, and Black Dynamite. All of them were great, especially Black Dynamite. It’s an instant cult hit.

This week, we’ve got The Men Who Stare at Goats, Where the Wild Things Are, The Box, Pirate Radio, and Fourth Kind. I’m pretty stoked. It's going to be a record. This time I won't be secret-agent paranoid because I've finally come to terms that the people getting paid minimum-wage there could care less.

Speaking of Stoked, can we talk about Katy Perry? She was caught rocking some outlandish outfits at the European Music Awards and while I’m still thankful to Russel Brand for shaking her out of her dark chocolate desires, I’m still a bit peeved that I didn’t receive a call to go hang out some time.

If she ever falls for Seth Rogen, I’ll slit my wrists.

Now that the Monopoly game is over (all I won was more food, yay!) I’ve started a blood pact of late to not eat fast food. Not for dietary reasons, but to give mom and pop shops a fighting chance to stay in business. Sure they can’t make a taco, burger, or sandwich faster than their rivals, but damn it if I won’t do my part to keep some businesses around. Besides, who actually even knows what they put in one of those Big Macs. Besides, the only time it’s appropriate to eat McDonalds is when the Monopoly game is going on or the McRib is back. Take your pick.

On the game front, Call of Duty 42 came out, but I’m still sinking my teeth into Borderlands. Plus there is Dragon Age and so many others to test drive….

…which brings me to my sadder bit of news. I’ve taken a bet with my friend that I can write a novel length book, (at least 80,000 words) by the end of the year. To do this means I have to cut somewhere and that will probably mean my video games and social internet time get the axe.

It’ll be great because I’m one of those creatures of habit that rarely finish a story I start, leaving me with numerous amounts of stories that have never ended just sitting in my files marked as “Work in Progress” and collecting e-dust. It’ll feel good to finish one, regardless of the turnout.

Since I’m an addict for things I like, I’ll probably have to box it up and stick to my internet for business time. No, not THAT business.

So like I said, it’s a bad, good, bad, good time.

As usual, go check out http://www.whatalameexcuse.com . Or else.