Looper, Monopoly, and Racial Judgments

An odd combination of topics for this post, but they all fit into my weekend.  Let's start off with movie reviews.

So, after a lot of hype (by me), I saw Looper this weekend.  Now before I say anything about the movie, you should probably know that I am a major movie fan.  Not in the typical sense though.  I can't tell you who produced or directed any movie.  I can't tell you if I think someone will be nominated for an Academy Award.  I don't know anything about independent films.  I'm a movie fan in the sense that I just watch a crapload of them.  Seriously, if Blockbuster was still around, and you walked around the store with me, I'd probably say I've seen 80% of the major movies that have been released.  Geeksquad. I can also tell you if I liked it, which most of the time, I do.  I just like to be entertained.  I'm not much of a critic.

So, Looper.  Yeah, I liked it.  I didn't think it was as great as I wanted it to be, though.  I watch too many trailers, and I think that gives me high expectations.  Overall, yes I'd say watch it, but don't expect to add it to the list of your all-time favorite movies.  That photo of the ticket stub above was the sign that I had to see it.  I had been talking about it all day on Friday, then on Saturday, I saw this movie stub on the ground and realized it was a sign that I needed to go see it.  Maybe I shoulda seen Pitch Perfect instead, because Fat Amy looks like she will make this movie hilarious (I'm not being a jerk, she calls herself Fat Amy):
Pitch Perfect Trailer
I think one of the reasons I wanted to see it is because I'm giving Joseph Gordon Levitt another chance.  I disliked him before, but not really sure why.  Maybe because he was such a whiny little *itch in 500 Days of Summer.  Or maybe because he's famous and probably rich, and I am neither.  Regardless, the movie was fun and I think you'll like it.

Prior Post Update - I finally got Avengers 3D Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD, Digital Copy, Digital Soundtrack, etc. from Amazon.  Watched it this weekend, just as good as it was when I saw it in the theater, plus I got to watch some of the bonus features.  Not sure why I buy movies though, I watch them once then kinda forget about them. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie on TV that I own and sit through the commercials.  Yeah I'm weird, but that's why I'm writing on this blog as if someone is reading it.  Because I often talk to myself.  Cah-razy.

Next, Monopoly is back at McDonald's.  I know some of you haven't eaten at McDonald's in years...not me.  I still eat there all the time, and I'm lovin' it.  Made sure to get a Big Mac and a large french fry to double up on my Monopoly game pieces.  Got an instant winner this weekend: Free Breakfast Sandwich.  The weird part is that it says "No McMuffins" on it.  What the heck? How random is that? I just checked their website, and the McMuffin doesn't seem that different from the other breakfast sandwiches, the contents of the sandwich look consistent with the others.  The only difference is the bread/bun/muffin.  I don't know, maybe they take longer to make, or maybe that muffin is in high demand right now.  Either way, seems real weird.  Makes me want a McMuffin that much more now.  McDonald's and their crazy psychological games....got me hooked. What ever happen to Ronald McDonald and all those characters, like that big purple guy Grimace.  What, kids don't like fictional characters anymore? Or maybe they only like Japanese ones like Pikachu.  My co-workers and I actually worked on a job with one of McDonald's suppliers a few years ago. We dressed like those old McDonald's characters for Halloween, and for lunch, we went to the nearest McDonald's.  I thought the employees would get a kick out of it.  No.  I don't think they even knew who we were trying to dress up as.  It was really uncomfortable with everyone staring.  Kids looked at me like I was a freak, maybe because I was wearing the Hamburgler mask (the black cloth on your eyes, kinda like R. Kelly in that one music video).  But the food? Delicious.

Ok, this post is dumb.  Maybe this last one will be interesting.  I was in Chinatown for dinner the other night.  And I saw a car with their hazards on in the middle of a small three-way intersection.  Now, yeah this might be racist, but I guess I wasn't that surprised to see someone park like that in Chinatown.  Before you call me an actual racist though, remember the name of this blog is Koreanvent Yourself.  Yeah, I understand it's not Chinasvent..Chinesevent...Chinvent...ok whatever you get what I mean, but I was just shocked someone would park like that. I saw cars having to drive awkwardly to get around it. Blew my mind.  BUT...that's when I realized I had to eat my words and that I was too quick to judge. When I drove by after taking this picture, I realized the car was in an accident and the front driver's side tire was collapsed.  My bad.  Sorry to the stranger in Chinatown for judging you.  I obviously need to Koreanvent myself after that one. So here's to the start of a new week.

Plates of the Day - Living the Glam Life

You may already know that one of my hobbies, outside of eating Subway for lunch 5 times a week and smiling and waving at people who flip me the middle finger on the road, includes taking pictures of vanity license plates.  I've accumulated hundreds of them over the past few years.  Here are a few good ones that I've seen lately.

GLAM LFE - We flyin first class up in the sky, poppin champagne, living the life, in the fast lane, I won't change...G..L..A..M..O..R..O..U..S...it's that Glamorous Glamorous. If you ain't got no money, then take your broke a-- home. Why is it that I love that song? Linky:
Glamorous
This girl/guy is obviously living the glam life.  I saw their car outside of Ed Debevicks.  I used to love that place as a kid, but went there a few years ago and realized their food was just ok. But it is entertaining there.  I guess living the glamorous life means you get to park your car outside of the lines, because this girl/guy is way over the yellow line.  Flossy Flossy!

TNS ANY 1 - Ok, these are my favorite. Trying to figure out what they are saying.
Tunes Anyone? Maybe a DJ?
Tans Anyone? Jersey Shore fanatic who loves to GTL?
Tones Anyone? A fitness instructor who helps you tone your body into elite condition, aka "The Eric"?

DA CAR 3
Nothing to figure out here.  It's just dis guy's car.  Da Bears. Da Bulls. Da Car....3.  Maybe this is his third car, or two lucky people in Illinois got Da Car and Da Car 2.

If you want to koreanvent yourself, you definitely have to have a dope vanity license plate.  I just wish I knew what mind would be.  Because right now it's like 461684651468784234 or something.

It's Halloween Already?

So one of my favorite places to eat is Buffalo Joe's. Their chicken wings are unmatched (in my opinion).  They are small wings, but I like it that way and their sauce is the boss (sorry Sweet Baby Rays).  Wings with too much meat don't get enough sauce, it's basic physics (or geometry or something, shut up I've been out of school for 8 years).  I went there for dinner the other night, but not the usual one I go to (on Northwestern campus in Evanston). This one is on Howard Street.  The girl at the register was extremely nice, and of course, the food was great.  One funny thing I saw though, they had a sign that said "Bathroom Costumers Only." Now I know Halloween is right around the corner, but I didn't have a costume on.  Yet, no one said anything when I walked through the door to use the restroom.  Oh well.  Seems a little silly you have to wear a costume to use the bathroom, but their restaurant, their rules.

Next, the most poorly built door ever.  Now I could be way off base and maybe there is usually a dumpster there or something, but this looks like something you would use to haze new employees.  Or, it's a skateboard store and people launch into the alley.  Or, the store owner has really long legs and just kind of swoops down onto the street.  Either way, seems a bit out of place.  2013 project - Set up a camera outside of this door to see who comes out.  Hopefully it's a ninja or Harry Potter.  Hopefully.

Finally, been a rough 2 weeks at work.  Lots going on, things not always going my way despite me putting in a lot of time.  But, every now and again, you are reminded that Life Is Good.  Guess if you're rolling in a sweet Lexus SUV, life must be pretty good.  I hate you.

And an update on CSR Racing, the iPhone game I've been playing for a few weeks.  Although I almost had a nervous breakdown when I bricked my iPhone during the iOS 6 update, the nice people over at Natural Motion Games were nice enough to respond to my e-mail within an hour to help me get my cars, cash and gold back.  Anyway, after a lot of button pressing, nitrous upgrades, Cali-decal adding, and plain old fun, I'm one race away from completing everything in the game.  I still need to win a few of the regulation races (just play them whenever for cash) so I can upgrade my BMW Z4 GT3 enough to win that last race.  It will be a sweet, sweet victory, so yay to me.

So moral of the story? Wear costumes if you want chicken wings, build doors that make people fall on their faces, and don't even bother trying to beat me at CSR racing because my tier 5 half-mile time is ranked 51,000 out of 3,000,000.  Do all that, and you will be well on your way to koreanventing yourself.  Gangnam Style.

Back in Business

Hello. The verdict is in....my one blog follower has requested that I make some more blog posts, and I couldn't agree more. I mean, if 100% of my fans are asking for some more great posts about random stuff, I can't deny them that.

 It's been a while since I Koreanvented myself. A lot has changed: a new job, haircut, ok that's about it. Anyway, since this blog never really had a purpose or direction, I've decided to write about my recent frustrations with retailers and their staff.

First up, Best Buy - Chicago, North Avenue. I used to like this store, the people were relatively nice, always found what I was looking for. Although these days all my purchases are online through Amazon, Best Buy does have the RewardZone and certain items that aren't on Amazon mean I'll have to pay tax somewhere. So might as well double up on points through my credit card and Best Buy. I went there to get an iPhone 4S for my mom, since they dropped the price with the iPhone 5 release. We were debating whether to get her an iPhone 4 (for free) or the S for $99, but with the better camera and more to utilize with the iOS 6 update, S was the way to go. They had one in stock (confirmed they had at least one via bestbuy.com), so when they pulled it out of their shady little cabinet behind the counter, I noticed there was no plastic wrap on it. So I asked if it was a used one, and the lady said "no, we opened it to make sure there was a battery in the box." And of course, me not being a total idiot, said "the battery is built into the phone." So she says, "oh, I mean the charger, some of the iPhone 5's we've been getting were missing a charger. Sounds fishy, but we keep going. I give her our AT&T information and we start going through the upgrade process. Then, she says she has to charge the phone because it's the battery is dead. That's when I notice there is no plastic film on the front or the back of the phone. Red flag. So I ask again, "are you sure this isn't a used or returned phone?" And she says they can't resell returned items like that. Then I remember these phones come with a small charge so they can set up in store (but this one was completely dead). So I tell her that we don't want it, and she looked upset or something. Seriously, if you're about to buy a new phone, you'd feel uneasy if it seemed like it was used. Especially with all these touch phones these days, people's face oil and stuff all over it. Gross. Don't lie to me Best Buy on North Avenue, the word "respect" should cross your mind when I pull out the Best Buy RewardZone Silver card, I mean they don't just hand those things out to anyone who buys a $8 flash drive. Ok, so some sarcasm there, but I really do have a card for the silver status. So jokes on you Best Buy, I'm never shopping at that location again.

Round 2 - The Avengers 4-disc collectors edition. Target had it online for $19.99, includes 3D Blu-Ray (which I don't have a 3D TV, but whatever), Blu-Ray copy, regular DVD, digital copy, digital download of the soundtrack, and a 90-min DVD with bonus features. Pretty solid deal for a new movie considering they usually sell those for a lot more. After work, I look online: sold out. So I'm searching around on their website, and find the same thing but an in-store version. So I look up online which Target stores have them in stock. Closest one is around Elston and Logan Blvd. If it says limited quantity, it means they probably only have 1 in stock, or they have a floor model (for electronics and stuff), I remember this from experience. This one says in stock, so they should have a few. I told the girl next to me at work I'd pick one up for her too. So I walk in, and see a giant stand for the movie, but all the movies say 2-disc edition, even the ones in the little promo stand that says 4-disc edition. So I ask the sales people and they said they don't have any. I told them I just drove up to this location because it says they have it online. The guy has the nerve to say that the website quantities are updated every few hours. Guess what man, I checked it a few hours ago and I just checked it now after getting home, in stock. Get your inventory straight, it's 2012. The other says person tells me they have it at Toys'R'Us, but I call and it's $27.99, won't price match. So I'm sitting there looking this up on my phone, and meanwhile there are a bunch of people (mostly geeks like me) looking for it, and I keep telling each one they don't have it. Then a guy comes and asks the lady, "will Blu-Ray play on my Mac?" Easy question: no. So I tell him that. 2 minutes later, the lady comes by and she's like, "no, they don't play on a Mac." Good thing you're working in the Electronics/Media department at Target, and you don't know crap about Electronics/Media. So Target on Elston/Logan, I'm never shopping at your location again. I was going to buy some groceries while I was there, but you just lost my business. For life. It makes me feel better to say that, even though I probably wouldn't make a dent in their business. But if all 1 of my blog readers + me don't go there, then it's double the impact.

 Finally, iPhone 5. Don't really even want to address this one, but I will. Waited in line at AT&T last Friday to try and score one. After 40 minutes, I'm almost in the door, and they tell us they are out of black ones. Although I could have gotten white, I wanted a black one so I pass. Weird thing is, one sales lady is walking up and down the line all morning telling us how many they have. Then we realize later that this is the total for the store, not how many are left. Thanks for that, real helpful. At least I got a granola bar out of it, Quaker Chewy, S'mores of course. So last night, in my first attempt to get groceries, I stop by the AT&T store to check, and they say their new flagship store on Michigan Ave had them as of that morning. So I am in the grocery store putting stuff in my cart (microwavable of course, I can't cook anything). I'm calling the AT&T store, press 2 for a sales rep, and after 8 rings, it kicks me back to the main menu. I do this about 10 times, then decide to just go there because these lazy mofo's aren't picking up the phone. I put all my groceries back and drive there because it closes in 30 min. I find street parking downtown, which is the low low price of $3.50 an hour. I put in an hour in case I'm signing paper work and stuff. I walk in, and man, this place is CREEPY. Dimmed lights, and little tables everywhere. You sit at one of the tables with a sales rep. Huge space to sell phones and headphones, kind of a waste if you ask me. Anyway, I ask the guy, and he says they have 32GB and 64GB, and I think "finally, I'm gonna get one." Nope, he adds "..in white" at the end. Although they didn't pick up the phone for an hour (called them all the way there too), I may still come here again because the people weren't liars/crooks...for now. Can't say the same for Best Buy North Ave or Target Elston/Logan. So avoid those stores if you can. Individually, we are weak, but in numbers, we can change the world. Koreanvent yourself, patna.

Sorry for the long post, a lot of frustration building up.  Also, sorry for the 3rd grade photos, I'm not good with Photoshop and can't even figure out how to draw lines, so that's the best I could do. You get the point.