stores that are closing that we know and shop

Some of those didn't surprise me. Like Blockbuster.

[Robin Garr]

Like Blockbuster.

We jumped to Netflix within two weeks after it became available and never looked back.

I'm surprised Winn-Dixie is still hanging in there. Their market overlaps with Publix. If we can't have Wegmans, I sure would be happy if Publix came to this area.
BP

My mom and dad shop at Publix when they winter in Florida. They love it.

I hate to see Blockbuster go under, only because my brother-in-law and his wife are both store managers and have been with the company for 15+ years each. However, it's far from surprising that the company is struggling. I'd love to know who is running that ship because their new marketing plan isn't working, but it's probably the same genius that raised rental prices in a recession...it's $5 now, up from $3.69 last year. When my weekend movie marathon went from $16 to $21, that was enough for me to say "Never again!"

Publix would be awesome! Used to shop them in Florida and always liked the stores, selection and their store brand items were really good!

I hate to see Blockbuster go under, only because my brother-in-law and his wife are both store managers and have been with the company for 15+ years each. However, it's far from surprising that the company is struggling. I'd love to know who is running that ship because their new marketing plan isn't working, but it's probably the same genius that raised rental prices in a recession...it's $5 now, up from $3.69 last year. When my weekend movie marathon went from $16 to $21, that was enough for me to say "Never again!"

Publix would be awesome! Used to shop them in Florida and always liked the stores, selection and their store brand items were really good!

I used to use Blockbuster but Netflicks is soooooo easy and they have everything I could possibly want to rent including hard to find foreign films. Added to that, when Redbox can do what they do out of a soda machine size vending machine, and be everywhere, for just a $1 you have to wonder how (and why) Blockbuster can afford the overhead of those large stores and number of employees.

[Robin Garr]

Netflicks is soooooo easy and they have everything I could possibly want to rent including hard to find foreign films.

Now get yourself a little Roku box for about $75 and start streaming your Netflix movies ... click to play instantly, no waiting for the postal service!

But I'm sorry Madeline's BIL and wife lost their jobs. When we rant about chains and such, it's always helpful to bear in mind that all the corporations we love to hate do still employ real people with real lives. (Yeah, Carla, I know you do, but I'm just preachin' to the choir, and mostly to myself here ... )

Netflicks is soooooo easy and they have everything I could possibly want to rent including hard to find foreign films.

Now get yourself a little Roku box for about $75 and start streaming your Netflix movies ... click to play instantly, no waiting for the postal service!

But I'm sorry Madeline's BIL and wife lost their jobs. When we rant about chains and such, it's always helpful to bear in mind that all the corporations we love to hate do still employ real people with real lives. (Yeah, Carla, I know you do, but I'm just preachin' to the choir, and mostly to myself here ... )

Just looked online - the basic box if $69.99 right now, and the HD box is $89.99. For $119.99 you can get the HD-XR box, which apparently will stream HD video anywhere in your home.

[Robin Garr]

Just looked online - the basic box if $69.99 right now, and the HD box is $89.99. For $119.99 you can get the HD-XR box, which apparently will stream HD video anywhere in your home.

For what it's worth, Netflix also just launched an iPhone/iPad applet today that allows streaming movies directly to those devices for anyone with a Netflix account.

For what it's worth, Netflix also just launched an iPhone/iPad applet today that allows streaming movies directly to those devices for anyone with a Netflix account.

GREAT! I wonder what the over/under is for the number of days before someone gets in an accident watching a movie while driving. Or, stepping off the curb into traffic?
'Winger

[Robin Garr]

GREAT! I wonder what the over/under is for the number of days before someone gets in an accident watching a movie while driving. Or, stepping off the curb into traffic?
'Winger

Dunno, Bill. That's a really good question, worth thinking abou ... OH, LOOK! Debra Winger!

GREAT! I wonder what the over/under is for the number of days before someone gets in an accident watching a movie while driving. Or, stepping off the curb into traffic?
'Winger

Dunno, Bill. That's a really good question, worth thinking abou ... OH, LOOK! Debra Winger!

She's my older sister.

Not surprised at all about Blockbuster either...Redbox is probably the other factor besides Netflix.

I'm not surprised at a lot of those stores, given the cost of their product compared to the current state of the economy.

I'm a fan of the redbox too. Blockbuster actually has a similar box at the gas station at the corner of Taylorsville and Pee Wee Reese/Bon Air. I'm surprised they haven't put out more - perhaps Redbox has already cornered that market? Didn't Blockbuster also try a mail order system similar to Netflix?

FYI - You can also stream from Netflix to your Wii, Xbox 360, or PS3, if you happen to have any of those devices.

It seems technology is changing the way we do everything in our daily lives. Yeah, I know, it always has, but the changes seem to be coming so quickly these days. (Or am I just becoming my grandmother?)

How much longer until we purchase everything out of a vending machine? Travel and Leisure magazine this month did an article on vending machines throughout Europe. Now you can purchase beer, bathing suits, hot pizza, live lobsters even gold bars via a vending machine. Where will it (or will it) ever end? Imagine not only the loss of jobs but the loss of human interaction We will become a very isolated society.

I think it's really sad since some of my best "feel good" moments come from my interactions with the people I buy stuff from. ("She says as she picks up another movie from Red Box." Geez I can be such a hypocrite. Heavy sigh.)