Today at work it was brought to my attention by a co-worker that one of our most irritating regulars has found himself a new shopping haunt (see watermark).



He calls me New York ever since I made the mistake of answering his questions (this was a long time ago), and is also known locally for having asked a female employee half his age to the zoo. Glad to see he's moving on.

Today at work I once again had cause to wonder who writes the copy for our DVD pre-order displays. Witness this compelling argument for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, season 1:

The "Clone Wars" goes back to the original Star Wars film when Obi-Wan Kenobi tells Luke Skywalker that he was once a Jedi knight the same as your father and that they fought together in the Clone Wars. Since that moment fans have been obsessed with what the clone wars were. This new TV series takes place immediately after the events of Star Wars-Episode II: Attack of the Clones. The series follows Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker and introduces us to some new characters such as Ahsoka Tano a girl Jedi knight as well as characters we already know.

I also was notified that our store will be closed down at the end of December. I have a week to decide whether I want to accept a demotion, a small pay cut, and transfer to a store where nobody likes working, or hold out through December, take some severance money, and go job-hunting.

Yesterday at work I finally got around to something I've been meaning to get to for quite a while. It was met with confusion.

Yesterday at work I bought some CDs for the first time in ages, so here's a small haul post. I keep meaning to do a DVD post but I've been buying them too fast and can't keep up.

( The haul )

This evening at work, the phone:

ME: Hi, ___, [obligatory sales pitch], what can I do for you?
GUY: Uh yeah, what's the earliest you guys open tomorrow?

Today at work I officially placed an order for Night of the Creeps, on DVD 10/27. It's about time.

How do I put this? Tonight at work a lady with a white dog came into the store. No, let me clarify that. A White Dog.

I'm sorry, Paul Winfield. I am so sorry.

Today at work I had to put out this guy's album, which came out yesterday.



Is there a name, face, or lineage that makes you want to punch the guy in the face any more than this one? Is there, anywhere, a more exact concept for soft adult contemporary mellow easy yacht wuss rock? LaMontagne O'Sullivan? Ambrosia Crofts? Maybe Oates Messina. Maybe.

Today at work I was getting ready to go but thought I'd help one more guy who was waiting for a special order.

ME: Hey, what were you looking for?
THE GUY: It's a song by Sharon Jones and the something, like the Del-Tones, but not Del-Tones.
ME: Dap-Kings?
THE GUY: Yeah, that sounds right.
ME: Do you know which album? They've got a few.
THE GUY: I'm not sure, I'm looking for the song Inspiration Information.
ME: Oh yeah, the Shuggie Otis song? I didn't know they covered that.
THE GUY: Yeah, that's my song.
ME: Serious, that song is great.
THE GUY: I mean, it's my song.
ME: Wait, you...yeah, you are.

So then I stayed late and talked to Shuggie Otis for a while.

Today at work I was asked for tickets to a certain event, the latest iteration of the circus to hit Los Angeles. Here it is:



What a distinctive and original name! ( Unless, of course... )

Today at work I met the ex-wife of Lee Freeman (guitar player for The Strawberry Alarm Clock).

Also I sold one young gent the makings of the perfect evening. The recipe follows:

Today at work I helped a guy in the Drama section.

ME: Hey, need help finding something?
GUY: Yeah, do you have that Al Pacino movie where he's blind?
ME [leading him to it]: Scent of a Woman? Yeah, under S, here you go.
GUY: Yeah, cause one of my co-workers, his girlfriend's blind, and she's never seen this movie.
ME: Uh...huh.

Today at work I made the mistake of throwing on a promo of the new Black Eyed Peas CD. Did I mention this was a mistake? Here is maybe the worst song ever recorded by a group with a CD I own. Wait, did I make a similar post when the last Black Eyed Peas CD came out? Whoa, déjà vu.

Today at work, this middle-aged guy and his tween daughter came up to the counter:

GUY: Do you have any songs by Sinbad?
ME: The comedian? Not the sailor?
GUY: No, the singer.
ME [checking]: I don't show anything. Do you remember any of the songs?
GUY: "No One Compares To You"...Michael Jackson wrote it.
DAUGHTER: Prince, daddy!
ME: Wait, was it something like Sinbad O'Connor?
GUY: Yeah, that's it!
ME: Actually...

Today at work another visit from good-natured middle-aged lady with thick Russian accent (Her most recent visit found here if you need a reminder.) After a brief chat about why we didn't have the CDs she wanted, this exchange:

MIDDLE-AGED LADY (THICK RUSSIAN ACCENT): Did you watch inauguration yesterday?
ME: Yes, of course!
MIDDLE-AGED LADY (THICK RUSSIAN ACCENT): It was so good, Obama was so good!
ME: Yeah, I really thought--
MIDDLE-AGED LADY (THICK RUSSIAN ACCENT): And now we finally get rid of cocksucker Bush! Is real cocksucker!

Today at work I was subjected to the usual for this time of year, and something struck me.

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen
Comet and Cupid and Donder and Blitzen
But do you recall
The most famous reindeer of all?

Well, obviously we remember him. He's the most famous one of all.

Today at work I rang up a customer named Tawny Moore. What do you think of that, 1985 Tom Waits?

We sail tonight for Singapore
We're all as mad as hatters here
I've fallen for a tawny Moor
Took off to the land of Nod

Thanks Tom!

Today at work I was concurrently fired and re-hired as part-time. Our store dropped below $x in volume (measured semiannually), so we're demoted to two full-time positions. As third-ranked, my position is eliminated, so I keep my pay rate, drop a few hours a week, get a nice check for my accumulated vacation, lose a sizable number of unused sick days, drop to lesser benefit package, and lose rights from now on for holiday pay, paid vacation, paid sick days.

Something funny later on maybe.

Today at work, the following:

BOSS (somewhat rhetorically): What's wrong with this calculator?
ME: Oh, is the battery dying?
BOSS: No, it keeps on adding incorrectly.

Is there a holiday I don't know about?

Today's DVD re-releases: Salò, Cannibal Holocaust, Cannibal Terror, and Delicatessen.