Over the past few months I’ve read many articles about the Credit industry as a whole and various “mistakes” that have been made.

My mother keeps lecturing me to make sure all of my bills are paid and that I don’t owe anyone any money and I keep telling her that the only things I have to worry about are my utilities and rent. This has actually been one of my first years ever that I haven’t had any form of credit card debt or carry over. None, zero, zilch – it has been an entire year.

Several minutes after I’ve reminded my mother of my responsibility, she goes on to tell me that I need to have a few credit cards. Why? It builds credit? Why would I want that? I know people can explain certain aspects about credit to me all they want. I went to school for this also. I understand it all too well.

What I don’t understand is the amount of Bank errors that are happening. We’re not talking about your cousin who knows a guy who knows a guy type situation here. It’s not far into the month of February and the stories are stacking up.

You see, I have this weird theory that no matter how bad we mess up our theoretic ‘Credit Score,’ the bank is only going to screw it up even further. Weird crack-pot theory but it can actually happen.

Another note; it’s 2010. Bank’s talk to each other via wires and satellites and email, yet it still takes a month for a check to clear at Wells Fargo from the Fed Reserve. Am I being punked, maybe a new bank will be next on my list? Ten years of loyalty hasn’t gotten me dick.

So the other day I am out driving to Trader Joe’s, not on purpose – I was actually in the neighborhood.  I figured, “Hey the video store is right by it!” I pull up to the video store and it’s closed.  As in nothing on the shelves closed, lights out closed.  NO!!!

That’s my bread and butter they’re fucking with.  I walked up to the door to read some signs they posted, in hopes of a brighter tomorrow, I see that there is another Hollywood Video down the road from my apartment in the opposite direction.  I’m thinking to myself that can’t be all that bad.

After my stop for snacks I make my way across town to find a smaller version of the video store I used to frequent.  Slightly disappointed I found a stack of movies.  I am one of those movie nuts that when I go to rent movies, I usually walk out of the store with anywhere from five to twelve movies.  The lady at the counter said I get to have only one.  This is my burden since I am new to this store.   Her response is that it’s a new policy since there have been too many thefts.

Let me tell you something counter lady who doesn’t make the rules but just enforces them:

First of all, if this is something that has been happening to more than just one store, (and I am sure it is) how about you centralize your customer accounts so I don’t have to open up a new one every time I go to a different store?  Why doesn’t corporate spend a few extra bucks doing this so when people go to rent movies, they’ll see whether or not if this is a person who has been previously noted as being a vandal or a movie addict who desperately needs his fix. . .  he has the money give him the goods.

Apparently I can rent three movies at once now, Hollywood Video: I have a feeling you’re going to be closing a lot more stores until you fix an easy problem that seems to be costing you quite a bit of money.

Next on my “Bitch about Video Store Day:” I have a big ‘Piss off’ to Hollywood in general.  You’re just setting yourself up for failure and it’s blatantly obvious.  You have this belief that sales are down in DVD’s as well as Blu-Ray disks, you know this is no true because we see the same sales figures as you and if they’re up, then they’re obviously up.  How about this: on all of the new releases, give us back the ‘Special Features’ options?  I’m getting upset opening up a DVD/Blu-Ray case and seeing ‘Rental Copy’ on it to find out it’s just the movie and not the listed special features from the display box.  If I wanted JUST the movie, I would have pirated it from some Bittorrent site, or from the various open FTP networks out there.  But when I look at a movie and it may have some oddball commentary or weird feature – I assume I’m getting that when I rent it.

In lieu to my rant, I have given up on purchasing any movies for the year 2010.  I may even go as far as selling my collection of several hundred.  If there is a movie that I desperately want to see, I’ll just have to wait for it to come to the Valley Theatre where it will only cost $1. 50 plus the two drink minimum.
I had faith in movies, now that faith is gone.

Weird news – I actually enrolled in school. I’m getting a bit tired of sitting around with what education I’ve got and no piece of paper showing that I actually worked for it. So alas, here I am. Almost an actually bona fide student, I just need to pay off the tuition and get my wonderful I.D. and voila! Actual honest to goodness student, no poser here.

So the other night I went to several gallery showings downtown Portland. It never ceases to amaze me what one considers art. My interpretation of art is something that is creatively planned, and creatively constructed. I am not fond of abstract pieces. To me; it is as if someone just threw multiple items together, gave it a name, and then labeled it as mixed media. That’s not art, that’s what my garbage can looks like just before I tie the bag and hoist it into the dumpster, voila – mixed media.

I fear that the day is soon approaching where I will soon see a canvas painted with construction paper spitballs and that this person will recreate various famous paintings with this crude style. Also, this person will become extremely famous for interpreting so many works with spitballs no one will stump them with the question “So did you re-create so many images because you, yourself, couldn’t come up with an original portrait to spit on the wall?”