I own too many DVDs. Now when I say that I own too many DVDs, I do not mean that I have so many that there's no space for family members or oxygen, that I've spent more on DVDs than some small nations spend on defense, like some people. What I do mean is that I have managed to acquire more DVDs than I've made time to watch. I haven't even torn the shrink-wrap off of (an example I'm loathe to name in these surroundings) some of the earlier seasons of Angel. I am trying slowly to rectify this, but it's daunting, and to make sure the ladder in this hole I've dug goes up rather than down I had sworn not to buy any more new box sets until I'd watched them all, or the second season of Hill Street Blues was released, or Barnes & Noble had another buy-two-get-the-third-free sale, whichever came first. [livejournal.com profile] scrollgirl tempted me the other day when she mentioned that Amazon had Veronica Mars for thirty dollars, but I was stalwart, I was stern, I was strong. I maintained my purity in the face of that temptation. But how could I walk the narrow path of chastity when it led down the aisle of my local Target? And there it was: Veronica Mars, season one, twenty-two dollars and ninty-nine cents. I could not resist, and I snatched those DVDs like Strom Thurmond meeting the Gamecocks cheerleaders

I wasn't embarrassed by my slip of sobriety, in fact I was quite proud, and I may have crowed about it a little at checkout.

Target clerk: Eeeee! I love Veronica Mars! How much is it?
[livejournal.com profile] dherblay: Only $22.99!
Target clerk: I have to get this! Is this the first season? It is the first season. I need the second season sooooo baaaaaddd. I haven't seen it in so long. When's the second season coming out?
[livejournal.com profile] dherblay: Hey, they still have to show the final episode first Tuesday night. They'll probably bring out the DVDs on Wednesday, but they have to show the final episode on Tuesday first.
Target clerk: I have to work Tuesdays and I was so mad when they moved from Wednesdays to Tuesdays. I love Veronica!

Of course, I may not pull the shrink-wrap off these just yet -- I've still got last Tuesday's on my hard drive unwatched -- but I've started to think of my DVD collection as a hedge against a future apocalypse in which we have plenty of electricity and leisure time but no access to bit torrent.
Yesterday's icon made me expand my wishlist. Making complex animations would go a lot easier if only I had my own East Asian sweatshop. After all, the producers of Futurama have their Korean animators, and they're able to get forty-five frames of a scene; by myself, I can manage only twenty-two. Yes, I definitely will be looking into this unfair labor practice idea. Maybe I could take on an unpaid iconing intern.

Speaking of unfair labor practices, my favorite quote in today's New York Times comes from this article on Wal-Mart's successful resistance to unionization:
Cody Fields, who earns $8.10 an hour after two years, said that he had originally backed the union "because we need a change" but that the videos had been effective. "It's just a bunch of brainwashing," Mr. Fields said, "but it kind of worked."
I guess it did.

Personally, I have no problems boycotting Wal-Mart; I find shopping there unpleasant and I am glad to avoid it. It's just that all the standard complaints about Wal-Mart can also be levelled against Target, which is often non-union, drives out local mom-and-pop stores, etc., and I love shopping at Target.

Also in today's Times is an article on some Alaskan bacteria that were revived after lying frozen in a pond for, possibly, 32,000 years. There's a techno-thriller plot in that; Michael Crichton might have to revise his stance on global warming.

And finally, the Times also contained an ad: "My kingdom for your old jewelry!" it proclaimed, above an etching of Henry VIII. "Henry VIII loved jewelry, and he didn't care about the cost. Windsor Jewelers is like him in this respect." Windsor Jewelers, Inc., apparently wants very much to associate itself with the British Crown and isn't too particular about those who wear it being distinct individuals.

Today I assembled a rolling tea cart from a cheap, drugstore-bought kit. The last line on the page of instructions was the boldfaced "CAUTION: Do Not Injured Yourself When Installing." That should hold up in court against any claims of liability. My East Asian sweatshop will have better proofreaders!

Profile

andrew_jorgensen

April 2009

S M T W T F S
    1 234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  

Syndicate

RSS Atom

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 8th, 2025 01:37 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios