Exactly where the hell is Fall?

No, really, I'm quite curious where fall is. When I look outside today, I kind of half heartedly expect to see this:


 
But no, I get this:

Anyone that denies Global Warming is a fucking idiot

Surprising No One, Blockbuster Files for Chapter 11

This one picture tells the tale of a company that failed to adapt to a changing market. I actually have fond memories of Blockbuster as a child. Not many, but reting old NES games while SNES/Genesis were major players in the console market.

However, for all those memories, I also remember on very important thing about businesses, or just life in general: Adapt or Die. This is true in both a social context (Health Care Reform, DADT repeal, Racial Desegregation) as it is in business.

The above picture is a clear illustration of how NOT to do it. The moment Netfix or even RedBox came into being Blockbuster should have shit their collective pants. The RIAA certainly did when Napster came knocking at their doorsteps (and for what it's worth their reaction paved the way for much of the Bittorrent world of today).

But, back to Blockbuster now. This is a classic example of what happens when you fail to either anticipate or adapt to a change in the market. Netfix started in '99, plenty of time for Blockbuster to have changed their business to adapt. But in this case it wasn't aggressive enough, as they took a full 5 years to realize (2004) to bring a similar product, Blockbuster Online, to bear.

5 years, in this day in age, is an eternity. During that time Redbox came into being, meaning ol' Blocky had not a game of one-upmanship but a full fledged war (Two's company, three's competition). We've already seen the fall of Hollywood Video years ago. Slowly but surely the further fall of big name brick-and-motor video stores will follow. If there are any left.

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There's a nice writeup at WSJ about the Blockbuster filing. Shows just how bad the company has gotten in the past few years.

I'm not making this up: Michael Jackson MMO in the works

The only thing I can think to say to this damn idea is "let the man rest in piece already!" But no, someone won't, and this monstrosity comes out of that:

[Planet Michael Website]

My brain hurts thinking about this. I can only imagine the activities this thing will have inside:

• Bribe the parents to keep quiet
• How to tell time (the big hand goes over the little hand)
• Baby catcher (failed in beta, Michael never dropped the kid)
• Military Fashion Designer
• Guess the Surgery
• Monkey Pet Rescue

I could keep going on with the jokes but it would be besides the point. This, honestly, is a money grab on the dead man's fame. This is just as bad, if not worse, than anything that happened to Elvis since his own death.

One Week Later, Father Update

So I'm sitting here, at my desk, a week after finding out my father was headed off to the hospital. I've learned a lot more about the particulars of what was going on the two weeks prior to this. Seems the last doctor/podiatrist visit for dad he had know things were not looking good. A few days later the right foot toe started becoming white (think dead skin for a visual). Again the problem of my father's "wait until it gets better" attitude my or may not have played a part in him waiting those 2 weeks to seek help.

So, anyways, he's in a nursing home now (one he visited in 2003 for a cellulitus infection in his right leg) for antibiotic treatment for 14 days. He'll be going in some time next week to have an angiogram done on his foot so see if a stint or such can be placed in his leg to increase circulation.

Other than that, my dad is himself: Opinionated, grouchy, but calm and chipper at the same time. Call it an oxymoronic mix, I call it old-fogey syndrome ^_^

Small update on my father

Doctor took a look today and said he believes they got it all. Just one toe (right 'ring' toe) Dad is being monitored for a few more days to make sure. White blood cell count has gone down but is not below a marker that indicates infection.  They're continuing with the IV antibiotics in the mean time in hopes they will not have to take more of the foot. He will probably go into skilled care barring anything further wrong.

Still on a path (Father Update)

So, contrary to someone's thoughts (which, mind you, gave me a needed laugh there Brooklyn) my father did go back to work after my last update. He'd kinda pushed himself back into it I guess in an attempt to have something to do. I guess in not having much more to day I'd neglected to keep and updated post on him. Sorry there ^_^.

He's gone through various modes of healing: Compression socks (which ended up being too tight and giving him more sores) to get circulation in his legs back, more antibiotics, and daily cleanings (done by my sister since he doesn't have the mobility to do them himself). One bothering thing was a sore he has had on his right toe. It wasn't getting any better, but not getting worse either. Doctor recently said it might take a year or so to heal, with anecdotal story of a 3 year long healing process from one patient.

If you know my father by now, you know he diabetes and lack of circulation in his legs causes issues. So this past Wednesday my sister Shawna, the one whom lives with my parents, calls me to let me know that things are not look as good again. He'd taken a night off of work with a fever a few nights before. Now his toe was starting to have it's wound seep. Infection returned it seemed.

Last night I got the most oddest of calls. My father let me know that his doctor made a decision to amputate said toe and needed a driver for this evening. I said yes, and quietly sulked at the thought.

This morning I got even worse news: Shawna calls me at 9 to let me know she's been awoken. The doctor has upped the time table as he feels there might be more at risk than just the toe. Given the time of this post he's probably being processed at the hospital, with some tests to determine exactly how far 'up' they'll need to cut.

I'm not in a greatest of moods now, sadly. :(