Will your local Blockbuster store close?

The writing is on the wall. The days of traditional brick and mortar video stores are numbered. It's not a question of "if", but a question of "when." Video mail subscription services and streaming video are making trips to the video store unnecessary.

Blockbuster announced Tuesday that the company may close as many as 960 stores by the end of 2010 - more than double previous plans. The closures will result in 20% fewer Blockbuster stores in the U.S.

Blockbuster is a laggard when it comes to transitioning to new video distribution models, and the video giant is getting squeezed on both ends by Redbox and Netflix. Blockbuster is in the mail order video subscription business, but the company has 80% fewer subscribers than Netflix. Blockbuster also has DVD vending machines, but Redbox has 15,000 machines compared to Blockbuster's 500.

On the same day as the Blockbuster announcement, J.P. Morgan released a favorable analysis of Netflix that praised the company's ability to add subscribers during tough economic times. J.P. Morgan also predicts that delivering movies via mail will slowly be replaced by streaming video, and Netflix is already in the streaming business.

Blockbuster has yet to announce the stores that will be closing, so it is not publicly known whether or not the Bowie store in Free State Mall (pictured above) is on the list.

Emerald Ash Borer

I came across this bumper sticker on a car back in August. You can kind of guess what it's about, but I didn't know the details.

The Emerald Ash Borer is a beetle that originated in Asia, and it was first discovered in the United States in Michigan in 2002. The beetle harmlessly eats ash tree leafs, but the beetle larvae kill ash trees by eating the inner bark. To date, millions of ash trees have been killed in the United States, and millions of dollars have been spent on eradicating the Emerald Ash Borer.

The State of Maryland reports that Prince George's County is the only Maryland county to be affected so far. The problem was discovered at a single nursery in 2003. Eradication efforts were attempted, but later tests revealed that they were not completely successful. I heard that every bill of sale at the nursery was reviewed to find the destinations of trees that were possibly infected, and eradication experts visited those destinations to destroy trees. A quarantine order was issued to prohibit anyone from moving ash trees, ash firewood and ash wood products.

Emerald Ash Borer traps can be seen throughout Bowie.

I spotted this trap in a tree along Belair Drive.

Here is another picture of the same tree.

This notice is stapled to the tree.

Halloween Spirit

Last month I posted about the Spirit Halloween store returning to Bowie Plaza in the old Giant space, and I poked a little fun at the politician masks. The store recently opened, and my kids and I stopped in for a little fun on Saturday morning.

That's right. We didn't buy anything. We just treated it like a free haunted house. For Christmas this year, we're just going to let the kids play in the toy section at Target, and next Easter, we're going to hide eggs at Giant.

They're still in the process of setting up some of the displays, but there was plenty to see.

Here is one of the automated displays. This guy looked a little too real.

Hmmmm. What is her size?

John and Kate plus ??????

Don't worry! Only a prop!

Who says we don't need universal health coverage for preventive care?

If fellow Bowietian and blogger, Dickster1961, had a Halloween nightmare, this is what it would be - more Obamas!

Reports of our house's demise have been greatly exaggerated

My wife was "reading notices" on the school's bulletin board after dropping my son off at preschool last Thursday. "Reading notices" is code for "waiting for one of the other mothers so they can go to Panera." One of my son's teachers came out into the hall to talk to my wife. The conversation went something like this.

Teacher: Is everything O.K.?

My Wife: Umm, yes, thanks.

Teacher: Do you need clothes or anything? Your son told me about the fire.

My Wife: What?

Teacher: He told me how your house burned down, and how he's now living with his best friend.

My Wife: WHAT?!?!

It turns out somebody has been telling tall tales at school - or, at least one very tall tale. He was a little embarrassed when my wife talked to him about it. It was definitely out of character.

It's Miller Time

My wife called me at work yesterday. The conversation went something like this.

Me: Hey

Her: Hey

Me: The kids OK?

Her: Yep

Me: Something wrong with the car?

Her: Nope

Me: You called to tell me that you love me?

Her: Definitely not!

Me: What's up?

Her: I just wanted to tell you that Rob Miller is
the Democrat from South Carolina who is running against Joe Wilson, and we just contributed to his campaign!

Me: Ha!

Here is a link to an article indicating that Rob Miller's campaign raised $48,000 by the end of June. At the time that I am writing this, Act Blue is reporting that 19,000+ people have donated over $700,000 to his campaign (an average of about $37 for each contribution), and more than $500,000 was raised over the 24 hour period after Wilson shouted "you lie" at President Obama.

Similar but less dramatic fundraising occurred for Democratic candidate Elwyn Tinklenberg in 2008 after his Republican opponent, Michelle Bachmann, suggested that Barack Obama was anti-American. Unfortunately, she was elected anyway.

Not Everybody is up on Current Events

I was in a meeting today, and one of my co-workers was giving a project status report. When he announced that everything was on schedule and within budget, I shook my finger at him and shouted, "you lie!" That would have been more funny if he had actually seen Obama's health care address to the joint session of Congress or if he had heard the news story about Congressman Joe Wilson. He hadn't.

Bowie News: Armored Truck and Rabid Bats

The back door of an armored truck popped open yesterday while the truck was driving in Bowie, and coins spilled onto the roadway. Doesn't this seem to happen disproportionally to armored trucks? I've never hear about a Tasty Kake truck losing its load. See the story and video here.

Also, Prince George's County residents are being warned to bat proof their homes after nine rabid bats have been discovered in the county. See the story here.