Unconventional Conventioneering
In one week, many of us will be falling upon Anime North's resident hotels (if we haven't already assembled) like a mad horde of dingoes in search of a baby to eat. Though instead of babies
(sweet succulent babies!), Harvey's would like to interest you in something a little less Soilent Greeny. You'd think they'd have learned from last year...
Guess whose chain is offering free original burgers once again on the Sunday of the convention? And for those of you unaware of the geographical layout, guess whose burger joint is located right between the convention centre and hotel? Yeah, if I'm there at Harvey's for anything on Sunday, it'll be to get a picture of the skein of hungry otaku with no money left coiled around it.
But with a week to go, the only real thoughts reverberating through my head are: "It's just a week left?" as well as the almost-as-important "should that leftover pizza be crawling across the carpet like that?"
Of course...with a week to go before the Con starts, I've already blown half my swag money. On manga.
No, I'm serious.
Two big titles I've been gunning for at AN08 for months now have been the
Ouran Host Club and
Fullmetal Alchemist series. Half my swag money was already devoted to collecting those volumes. Imagine my surprise to discover that the Chapters stores around here are throwing a sale on all Viz manga: 20% off the price, plus an additional 10% off with the iRewards card (which we have).
It's strange, in a way: I would have saved more money on any other day had I purchased the titles via the Dealer's Room instead of Chapters, but all of a sudden Chapters has saved me more money than both the Dealer's Room and usual-day-Chapters. And I'm happy.
Of course, in the process I also broke 2 of the Chapters' sales tills. Not physically, though. Come on, most of you have seen how scrawny my arms are. I'd need some serious momentum behind me to dent a till. But apparently buying 22 volumes of manga with additional promo discounts on top of the cost, and all in one shot, has the inborn ability to destroy Chapters' computers within seconds.
I know I seem to have issues with technology. Mel's car doesn't like me, and reminds me of this almost daily by frakking with the auto-locks whenever I try to get in or out. Our DVD player doesn't seem to accept half the functions I push on our remote control...though of course when Mel tries the same thing seconds later, it all goes through perfectly. And our Net connection enjoys either suddenly slowing down or crashing altogether on a regular basis whenever I sit down and push any random key on the keyboard.
I've accepted that I might as well be a
Good Omens character with the way technology seems to malfunction at my fingertips. This time, however, technology malfunctioned without me even touching the machine. Apparently I've mutated and have now become an airborne pathogen. I don't really know if I should be flattered or chagrined over this fact.
You may decide for yourselves.
Today's Lesson: apparently, in Grand Theft Auto 4, airplanes are 100% explosion-proof. The flaming SWAT vans you drive underneath one to avoid the other SWAT vans who don't seem to like you driving down the runways are not.
Labels: airborne anti-technological pathogens, I really should be reading manga instead of typing in witty tags, return of the suicidal Harvey's employees
posted by Phillip at 8:29 PM
