BLOCKBUSTER Video Game Rental Selection

I just got home from Blockbuster Video, where I picked up some rentals: two Blu-rays and a PS3 game.  I belong to Blockbuster Online, so I get free in-store movie trade-outs and two free game rentals a month.

Considering that it was a Saturday night, I was pleasantly surprised that both movies that I was looking for were in-stock.  They had multiple Blu-ray copies of both Get Smart and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants part 2 (don’t laugh … that was Sayra’s pick, not mine).

As for the game, I still had one coupon left and had my heart set on Mirror’s Edge. I really want to play this game, but don’t think it warrants a purchase.  

After searching the shelves of both the XBOX 360 and PS3 titles, I couldn’t find any copies.  Not that they were all out … they didn’t even carry the title at all!!  This is one of the major releases this season.  How could they not even carry it?

I ended up getting Little Big Planet, which was also on my list.  At the register I was asked if I found everything I was looking for, so I asked about Mirror’s Edge. I can’t believe the answer they gave me.

They said that since no one pre-ordered the game for purchase there, they wouldn’t carry any rental copies.  The pre-orders determine how many rental copies they will carry of each title.  Yeah right.  Then why did they have 10 copies of Quantam of Solace?  Are you telling me that dozens of people pre-ordered that game?

Then the guy told me that even if I don’t want to buy the game, I should pre-order it and put down the $5 deposit to guarantee that they get rental copies.  Why the hell would I waste my $5, so they can properly stock a title that they should have anyway.  Are they really that clueless?

UPDATE

I received an email from Maria Lucena @ BLOCKBUSTER Customer Care concerning this post.  At first I thought it may have been a joke.  There are numerous grammatical errors making the email sound extremely unprofessional.  

Of course, my main concern over wasting $5 for the pre-order wasn’t even addressed.  Here’s a partial screen shot of the email from my iPhone.  I think I’m actually a little more pissed off now, than when I first wrote this post.

Flip MinoHD

This is what I want for Christmas this year. The Flip MinoHD is the world’s smallest HD camcorder.  It retails for about $229.

Last year I almost bought a Flip Mino, but decided not to because of the average video quality.  The Flip MinoHD produces vibrant HD 720p (1280 x 720, 16:9 widescreen) video that can be enjoyed on any HDTV.

The Flip MinoHD offers all of the signature Flip Mino features that I wanted … the sleek design, simple user interface, flip-out USB arm, rechargeable internal Li-ion battery, built-in editing and sharing software, plus stunningly crisp, clear HD-quality video.

It weighs only 3.3 ounces and can fit into your pocket.  It’s so super-small, the Flip MinoHD enables you to capture life in HD anywhere you go.

 

I’ve been leaving hints for Sayra that I really want one.  If anyone reads this post and then sees her, try to work it into conversation … lol.  Here’s a quick promo video from Flip.  Be sure to leave a comment if you have already tried one out.

Happy Thanksgiving Hand Turkey

Vince from Shamwow

I really hate this guy!!!

Every time I see this commercial, I get sooooo annoyed.  Some of the things that this guy says are beyond stupid. I can’t believe that anyone would actually buy these chamois.

“You know Germans always make good stuff”  Are you kidding me? Why would he say that?

“Olympic divers use it as a towel”  That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I watched a lot of the Olympics from Beijing and I don’t remember seeing any divers drying themselves off with ShamWoWs.

Then it is so obvious that they switched carpet samples during the “real time” demonstration.  The puddle of soda under the swatch disappeared before he even put the ShamWoW on top of it.

Also, who the hell spends $20 a month on paper towels?  That’s like 3/4 of a roll a day. This guy is such an asshole.

But the part that ticks me off the most is when he says “… if you call now within the next 20 minutes, because we can’t do this all day …”  They run the fucking commercial ALL DAY!!!  There’s no way to tell if it’s been 20 minutes or not.  

How stupid do they think we are?  Who the hell would be dumb enough to fall for that and run to their phones within the next 20 minutes?

The icing on the cake is that while writing this post I read a few consumer reviews. It turns out that the ShamWow is a scam.  Go figure.

Aveda Foot & Hand Relief

Here’s a funny picture that I took while Sayra and I were shopping at the Towson Town Center.  It was taken at the Aveda store.  There’s 2 wierd things in this pic.

#1 – Do they really need a tester for the foot relief?  Are people actually going to try this stuff on their feet while shopping in the store?

#2 – Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t “hand relief” mean something dirty?  I think they could have come up with a better name than that.

The funniest part is that Sayra ended up buying both of them.

Turkey Shoot

Here’s a fun little flash game that Justyna sent to me in an email forward.  It’s called Turkey Shoot.  The game is really simple, just shoot the turkeys.  It’s not exactly Call of Duty, but it is tons of fun. Be forwarned though … it’s addictive!

Get Free Dr. Pepper Online

Mark your calendars: Sunday’s the day to cash in on Dr. Pepper’s long-standing challenge to Guns N’ Roses.

Back in March, Dr. Pepper announced that they would give every American citizen a Dr. Pepper if the Guns N’ Roses Album “Chinese Democracy” was released in 2008 – after 14 years of recording.  The album — currently available for free streaming at MySpace Music — officially comes out on Sunday.

This is obviously come cleverly designed marketing campaign disguised as a challenge and I really could care less about a new Guns N’ Roses album, but I love getting something for free!!!

So that means on Sunday, we can grab our free bottle. Dr. Pepper says it’ll post coupons for free 20-ounce sodas on its Web site for 24 hours starting at 12:01 a.m EST on Sunday.   Allow 4-6 weeks for coupon to arrive. Coupons will expire on Feb. 28, 2009. Limit one coupon per person.

Show Off an Image of Your NXE Avatar Online

All you need to do to share your NXE Avatar with the rest of the world is to take the URL:

“http://avatar.xboxlive.com/avatar/GAMERTAG/avatar-body.png”

and replace GAMERTAG with your actual gamertag.

This gives you a transparent PNG image, suitable for placing on top of other random things or just inserting into html as I have done.

Not only that, but you can do it with your friends’ avatars as well, leading to endless fun in the near future. Check mine out.  Pretty good likeness?

iBangle: The future of the iPod

Apple may soon add an iBangle to its army of iPods. It’s a bangle bracelet that sits on your wrist while you play your tunes through a wireless bluetooth in-ear headphone.

The aluminum bangle will not feature a screen, but a trackpad so your finger can slide and tap your way through your music.

Worried about fit?  When you press the blue button on the device, the blue lining inflates with air, securing the iBangle snuggly around your wrist.

Designed by Gopinath Prasana, the iBangle currently exists in concept only…but hopefully not for long. No word on an ETA or price.

Xbox 360 to sponsor Seattle Sounders FC

Microsoft on Wednesday announced plans to sponsor the Seattle Sounders expansion team in addition to making the Xbox 360 the “official console of Major League Soccer.”

The new deal will see the “Xbox 360 Live” logo grace the jerseys of the Seattle Sounders next year as the club takes to the grass in their new stadium dubbed, “The Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.”

I like how they are using the same color schemes as the Seahawks.  My only question is: Where can I get one of those awesome new jerseys?