Back in the Saddle Again

After having to move over 300 miles, and wait for just the right rental situation; I am now able to use the internetz unfettered by certain relatives who thought I might be using all of the internet up.    I won't be satisfied until I can has broadband anywhere I want, but this will have to do.

During my internet hiatus I rediscovered literature and human interaction...no I really didn't.  I did haul my 360 to a broadband outlet to download Indigo Prophecy and Fable; because nothing will stop me from giving Microsoft money.   I finished Indigo Prophecy, but was derailed in my Fable quest by the release of GTA 4.  I ordered it off Gamefly and thought it would be a silly romp with some achievements, but I got hooked..  This quicky post can't contain my GTA4 love, so I'll save that for a future post.  I have also been getting alot of mileage out of Doom, Half Life 2, and Dead Rising.

Recently, I rented Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles which is great if you are looking desperately for a new game to play on you Wii that does not involve a balance board.  Sadly, I failed to return it on time, involving late fees.  Luckily for me Hastings (the rental store in question) sent me a letter promising half off my late fees, AND a free rental.  Color me surprised.  Sadly, they're game rental selection was scanty, so I left  Condemned 2 Bloodshot.

You'd think as a Silent Hill super fan I'd love this game, but so far I find the controls annoying.  I have it for four more days and plan on returning it in a prompt manner.

Posted by UnForestero @ 12:07 am EDT | Permalink | 0 Comments

Retail Therapy

Retail Therapy Report

Dear Customers,
In this stressful holiday time, it's still important to be courteous to those around you. Simply because a person is behind a counter, does not give you right to be rude. The following is a quick list of holiday shopping "don'ts".

Don't spend the entire transaction on your cell phone arguing with your spouse or ordering food. You hold up the line trying to multi-task, and make me feel like I might as well be a goddamn U-Scan machine.

Don't complain to me that you were waving at me from twenty feet away, and I didn't hop over like your obedient lackey. I am not your lackey, nor am I anyone else's.

Don't correct me when say "happy holidays", by saying "merry christmas", Guess what, there are other religions celebrating holidays right now to.

Don't pester me about whether I scanned your giant piles of coupons, you were right there when I did it.

Don't get snippy with me when your young child hands me a copy of Call of Duty 4, and I insist you come into the electronics department to pay for it. Then, get flustered when I point out the M rating. It may be a gift for his older brother, but sure as shit he'll find a way to play it.

Don't stand there dumbly staring at me after I've handed you your receipt and purchase. You've got your stuff, our relationship is now concluded. You may go now. This almost only happens with credit card holders, does the holiday season make credit card users stupid?

Don't argue with me as to why my store doesn't stock the game/movie/CD you desire. I don't have it, it's not here, please stop pestering me about it.

Don't come to my register with 2,000 dollars worth of merchandise and then write a check. Also, don't get snippy when I have to call to verify funds. Why doesn't everyone have a debit card?

Don't argue with me when I say your card/check has been declined. You can tell me over and over how you've just made a large deposit, it isn't going to help. Call your bank and leave me out of it.

Don't ask me if there are any Wiis, just don't.

Do have a happy holiday, whatever heathen gods you worship.

Posted by UnForestero @ 5:28 pm EDT | Permalink | 3 Comments

What do you do?

What do you do if someone you love and respect tells you they are dying? What if they were the very person you would turn to if you were going to lose someone near and dear to to you? There's no words, maybe if I purge myself online I'll let some of my pain and loss go. I don't know what to do.

Posted by UnForestero @ 2:29 am EDT | Permalink | 5 Comments

Black Friday Booty

I just got back from shopping my store's Black Friday sale, and it took me all of 5 minutes to finish my shopping.  Wanna know how I did it?  I snagged all the games, movies, and CDs I wanted while I was working, and stashed them under the counter.  All I had to do was walk up, and ask for my giant pile.  Here's a list of my ill-gotten gain:

Assassin's Creed
Overlord
Dead Rising
Firefly boxed set
Silent Hill movie
LOTR boxed set
"Tenacious D" LE CD "The Pick of Destiny"
Hairspray

I only spent 176.00 bucks after all the discounts were done.  I'm sorry I didn't grab those 24 boxed sets, but I might get them when I show up for work this afternoon.

Retail Therapy Report
Behind the counter I noticed a huge pile of the LOZ Phantom Hourglass/ DS bundles (gold w/Triforce emblem), a stack of the 360s bundled with Forza 2 and  Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and one lone 360 Elite bundled with the aforementioned games.  I have been gazing in reverence at this elite bundle resting regally in the stockroom for the last two days, I can't believe it wasn't sold at 5:00 AM.  There were no Wiis in sight, but several bundled and unbundled PS3s were languishing in their glass case.  I'm starting to feel bad for the poor things.  

Pardon me, I have to go assassinate some Templars, or maybe rule the world, or save a bunch of people in a zombie infested mall.  Decisions, decisions. 

Posted by UnForestero @ 2:08 pm EDT | Permalink | 1 Comments

So I'm at work the other day and...

...this guy in a John Deere hat and acid wash jeans come and asks for the "EA NASCAR 08 game that you can play on you TV." I asked him whether he wanted the XBOX 360 version or the PS3 version. He looked confused, and I had to be one to break it to him that it would cost him at least 350.00 to play the game on his TV. He left looking disappointed. I could have been a real smarmy jerk, but I wasn't.

Another day, a middle aged woman asked me for the "Y" game". I knew from prior experience that she wanted to buy a Wii. I only corrected her on her pronunciation so when she unveiled it to her grandkids on X-Mass morning, she wouldn't sound uncool.

Another lady bounced in to buy Wii Play; bubbling on about how she got a really good deal on a Wii at Walmart. "They are normally 399.99, but I got mine for 249.99!" I was about to correct her, but she seemed so happy I just couldn't burst her bubble. This incident makes me wonder what the hell is going on at Walmart.

Numerous folks have come in to ask if we have "the Wii game". I point to the display, only to discover they mean the console.

See, I know I say stupid things all the time, and when someone nicely corrects me, I don't feel bad. I just can't stand people rubbing my nose in my own mistake like a puppy with a bladder control problem. So I try to extend that courtesy to my fellow human beings. (unless they are stupid AND mean, in which case they can go fuck themselves)

Retail Therapy Report
Parents are terrified there might be a Wii shortage, so they are snapping them up as fast as Nintendo ships them to us. This is the principle of supply and demand in action. We got the 360 Arcade bundle in, and we still have one Halo 3 edition 360 left over like ghost of the Halo Hysteria . We can't keep the pro bundle in stock. (the one with a 20 gig 360 and Forza 2 and Marvel Alliance) Oh, and I sold a PS3 last week.

Posted by UnForestero @ 4:04 pm EDT | Permalink | 6 Comments