CHESSNOID

Since I left my previous job for another collection gig, I realize how nice it is not to have to work from bell to bell or a 9am to 9pm shift at the end of the month. The overtime is nice, but to work a 9-9 shift on a Saturday or Sunday calling the same people you have been calling all month long is no fun. The day actually drags on forever. The worse part is coming back in the next morning at 9am to start the month over again. It is truly a daily grind.

Today, I worked a regular work day. When I got home, I watched 2 movies. The first one was 300. It’s hard to believe it was just in the theaters in March and now on DVD in July. I enjoyed it but have a feeling it would have been much better on a big screen. I am still confined to a 19 inch screen. I called Microcenter and asked when they will have my TV ready and it is still a mystery to them. They said the part has been ordered and they are waiting for it, which in a few days will be a whole month of waiting. I asked for the manager and was put on eternal hold. After I hung up, I called back and they said the manager would have to return the call. Starting tomorrow, I might have to call them 3 times a day till I get the manager on the phone. We all know they never call back.

Back to the movie 300 it was definitely violent and had a dark theme. Lots of computer animation but still entertaining. Everyone had abs of steel which kind of makes me want to work out. This movie reminded me of Braveheart with Mel Gibson or Gladiator with Russel Crowe. Same type of action and violence. However, I liked those 2 movies much better. This movie lacked character development. The story itself was straightfoward, but felt kind of rushed. If you haven’t seen 300 and like these types of movies, then I would recommend seeing it at least once. It is a good popcorn type of movie.

The second movie I watched was Hot Fuzz. A British flick which got rave reviews too like 300. Unfortunately, at about halfway mark, the direction of the movie changed. It was pretty funny to begin with and then turned into one of those scary movie spoofs. If you want a couple of good laughs, this one has some funny moments but you will be disappointed in the end. Save your popcorn for another movie and pass this one up.

One last thing, I did see a great deal on a brand new Compaq laptop 15 inch screen for only $299 after rebates at Office Depot. This one you might have to go the physical store and order it. The sale is good till Saturday. I really wonder if laptops and desktops will be going for under $200 by Christmas time. These prices seem insane. Computers that cost less than half of what cell phones and video game systems cost. I am so tempted to get one, but my better judgment is beating out my spending impulses. Let’s wait and see what happens at Christmas.