Can any one just rent one DVD in Blockbuster?

Its long been  know that no mortal man can go in the popular chain of Blockbuster stores, a worldwide company specialising in the rental of DVD’s, Blu ray and console games and come out with one dvd only. No. no arguments, that’s it……

I go in to my local store usually once a week to pick up the latest in home entertainment for the weekend, you know the rationale get a chick flick to watch with the girlfriend, get a thoughtful drama that touches on some mature themes so you can watch together whilst musing on the message behind the films plot and the action film that you try to convince your girlfriend she’ll like but after 10 minutes she gives up and leaves you in peace so you can dribble over Sylvester Stallone’s magnificence, or tell your self that you too could do the things Jackie Chan does on screen , if you didn’t have work tomorrow.

Whilst i intend to go in there to rent these films ( one used to be enough but now it’s apparently cheaper to rent 3) and these films only , i usually end up coming out with at least 3 if not 4 films, a fizzy drink of some description , ice cream possibly some nacho’s and a bag of galaxy or revels.

How does this happen? I’m a grown man and yet i cant resist the hypnotic allure of the shop assistant that convinces me i dont want just one DVD, oh no, i’d be better off with 4 DVD and enough sweets and confectionary that i could set up my own shop. The conversation usually goes some thing like this.

Server: Hello sir, just the one DVD this evening?

Me: Yes, please, just the one , thank you.

Server: Really? I dont understand?

Me: Just the one please, yes, thank you. ( starting to blush)

Server: Are you sure you dont want to get 3 for £10 sir? Its a good deal.

Me: No thanks , I’m going on holiday tomorrow(lie) i wont have time to watch them.

Queue starting to form behind me now, with people who are gearing up to say the same as me, as well as the weak ones who have 4 DVD in their hand as well as popcorn and fizzy pop , so as not to prolong the interrogation once its their turn.

Server: But sir , its £4.50 for one and £10 for 3, its a win win for you if you get 3.

Me: Erm …(damm it,she’s got me) , well, i er

Server: Oh go on sir , the new Tom Cruise films out it’s really good…..

Me: Well, i er……you know with the holiday and everything, i shouldn’t really….

Server: It’s really good sir i’d recommend it, only 3 for £10, its a steal at that price.

Me: Ok then , i’ll take 3 DVD for £ 10, ( off i go back to the shelves to pick out two films I don’t want, then return think that’s it, no more, dont cave in to any more demands)

Server: Very good sir, you wont regret it, you’ve made the right choice. Now sir, would you like some popcorn , nacho’s or ice cream with that?

Me: Erm, no thanks……I’m going out for something to eat later(lie), I don’t need any thing tonight, thanks though.

Server: Really? we’ve got a special on this week sir, buy one ice cream and get another two free, as well as a free bottle of pop and some nacho’s all for £5, I don’t know how you can turn that down sir?

Me: well I’m allergic to dairy products ( lie) so the ice cream is no good, I don’t like the pop and Nachos any way (lie), so thanks all the same.

Queue is now about seven people deep all thinking that i should stop resisting and just give in so they can do the same.

Server: Oh well, that’s a shame sir, does your girlfriend not like ice cream then sir? I bet she’d like some , what i nice treat for her if you go back to the house with some ice cream as a surprise…..

Me: Ok , Ok i give in , just give me the blooming ice cream, the pop and the nacho’s , please just let me go, i give in , I’ll take what you want …please can i go now?

Server: very good sir, good choice. what a great night your going to have sir, That’ll be £25 in total sir.

Me: What? How Much…? Your Joking?……I…..? Ok, I’ll just pay, (hand over the money I didn’t want to spend). Thank you

Server: Thank you sir, see you next week…….Next customer please.

Unbelievable. I find my self now pacing up and down outside the shop before i go in, summoning up the strength to say “no” before i go in, sharpening up the excuses so she wont push me to the limit, “I’m off on holiday tomorrow”, or ” no thanks, i’m off to prison tomorrow”.

it’s very difficult to explain the scenario unless you’ve been in to a shop and experienced it for your self, but suffice to say it’s not nice. The best bit about the whole process is when you take the films back, because you can drop them in the overnight box on the front of the shop so you don’t need to enter the shop at all and you don’t have to buy anything from them.

Perhaps we should get the shop assistants to advise the Government on the economic crisis and how to get money out of people for things they don’t want to buy as if we could transfer this blockbuster technique on the high street as a whole I fancy the economic crisis would be over with in 3 months.

Kate Middleton breathes oxygen exclusive

Thats right folks, i can report exclusively today from a source in Canada that Kate Middleton has been breathing oxygen. I know its hard to believe but i have this from an unnamed source close to the young royal.

It’s true that whilst the reports of Kate changing her clothes and bathing in the evenings before she goes out for a meal and a few drinks have been making the headlines over the last few days, this latest story is the biggest shock of the visit to Canada and one which will have the media falling over them selves to get the scoop.

My source tells me that she has been breathing oxygen since birth but it has just come to light on the Canada trip where in a moment of forgetfulness she was seen breathing during one of the engagements. The story is sure to add fire to the media storm and will no doubt follow them around until the conclusion of the trip.

In anther related story there Canadian media are also reporting that the Royal couple have been sleeping in a hotel and some times they have their evening meal in the evening.

It’s nice that an independent blogger like my self can bring such a high-profile exclusive for you out there in the land of the internet, i hope this does nothing to spoil your vision of the royals as normal people. Keep your eyes peeled for more exclusives over the next few days.

The West Wing or the Wire?

I’ve got to be honest , i am a little obsessive when it comes to these two masterpieces of modern television. I doubt that there will be many people who read this that haven’t seen The Wire or The West Wing or both.

The Wire was out-of-place on TV at the time it first aired back in 2002 as it’s a bit of a slow burner taking four or five episode to build up the story in season one , but taking the whole of the five seasons with its character arcs and the characters lives.  David Simon the creator of the show said it was the story of the city of Baltimore rather than the characters involved, with each season focusing on a different section of the city including police, schools, local newspapers and dock workers. I’ve spoken to people about The Wire and it seems to me any way, that people either love it or hate it. It’s still amazing to me that the show was allowed to unfold over such a slow pace as the viewers in America have notoriously short attention spans if there isn’t something happening every few minutes. Recent shows like the Chicago code have been cancelled after the first season and whilst they are in no way superior to The Wire the fast paced format has been popular over the years.

The West Wing has gone down in history as one of the best written shows of all time. At times it can be heartbreaking or hilarious or both. The characters created in this show developed much faster that The Wire but became nationally loved characters that people identified with. Created by Aaron Sorkin the show was his vision and the first two series was possibly the written and acted show in the history of television. The shows high quality dipped slighty in the later series when Sorkin’s input lessened. I can honestly say i have watched all of the seven seasons of the show at least three times each if not more. The show is sadly missed on our screens and the characters have stayed with us even thought the show has long finished.

In truth i Prefer The West wing to The Wire in the main due to the light hearted feel  of the show and its watchable quality that allows you to return to the show with it still feeling fresh. Luckily we don’t have to choose and i can happily purchase both on DVD, but if i had to choose one I’d pick West Wing, what about you?

Hello there………if i can just explain?

I’ve tried blogging before and i think that i didn’t do it justice to be honest. Not that i knew what i was doing , but i thought i did and that’s good enough for me……and hopefully you.

This time how ever i know what I’m doing, and i intend to keep it up and share with the world my random thoughts ( as suggested by my blog title). This is really code for i cant decide on a subject to talk at length about so if i say its random it wont come as any surprises to any one if one day i talk about sport and the next day i discuss this years must have’s for the young upwardly mobile fashionista in NYC, just so you know right from the start, I don’t want any complaints in a few months time……

I’ll probably talk about sport, entertainment and travel , thiongs that interest me but we’ll see how we get on eh?

Now then , that’ll do for today…….what will i talk about tomorrow? Answers on a post card please