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1. Alfredo_T
   

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   Posts: 1,414

   In our previous incarnation of the message board, we had built an impressive (and disturbing!) list of troubled companies that have filed for bankruptcy protection or have ceased to exist:

   • Shane Co. Jewelers
   • Circuit City
   • Minneapolis Star Tribune
   • Black Angus Steakhouse
   • Nortel
   • Lehman Brothers
   • (Chicago) Tribune Company
   • Seattle PI
   • MERVYNS
   • Linens and Things
   • Gottshaks
   • KB Toys
   • Mrs. Fields (cookie company)
   • Equal sweetener
   • Flying J. Travel Plazas
   • Death Row Records
   • Whitehall Jewelers
   • Compusa
   • The Mole Hole
   • Sirius/XM
   • MUZAK
   • Joe's Sports & Outdoor
   • Zell Brothers Jewelers
   • The Columbian (newspaper)
   • Brownell Sound
   • A-Boy Plumming & Electrical
   • Charter Communications

   Now, GM has the dubious distinction of joining this list. GM's stock is now listed on the Pink Sheets exchange!

   Posted on June 16, 2009 - 12:49 PM #
2. Andy_brown
   

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   Posts: 839

   Largest Public Company Bankruptcy Filings – 2009 to date

   General Motors Corporation

   Chrysler LLC

   Thornburg Mortgage, Inc.

   General Growth Properties, Inc.

   Lyondell Chemical Company

   BankUnited Financial Corporation

   Charter Communications, Inc.

   R.H. Donnelley Corporation

   AbitibiBowater Inc.

   Nortel Networks, Inc.

   Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation

   Extended Stay Inc.

   Visteon Corporation

   Aleris International, Inc.

   Spansion Inc.

   Chemtura Corporation

   Six Flags, Inc.

   Masonite Corporation

   Source Interlink Companies, Inc.

   Spectrum Brands, Inc.

   * Listed in descending order by Pre-Petition Assets (Assets in $mil)
   Source: BankruptcyData.com New Generation Research, Inc. Boston, MA (617) 573-9550

   http://www.bankruptcydata.com/Research/Largest_2009.pdf

   http://www.bankruptcydata.com/researchcenter2.htm

   Posted on June 16, 2009 - 01:02 PM #
3. Alfredo_T
   

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   Posts: 1,414

   I just heard on a news update that Eddie Bauer is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company is expected to be bought out by a private equity group.

   Posted on June 17, 2009 - 08:11 PM #
4. trixter
   

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   Posts: 3,214

   And LIQUIDATED!

   Posted on June 17, 2009 - 10:02 PM #
5. Alfredo_T
   

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   Posts: 1,414

   New Vision Television - "Structured" Chapter 11 (See the KOIN thread)

   Posted on July 17, 2009 - 08:08 PM #
6. Alfredo_T
   

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   Posts: 1,414

   Yahoo! Finance recently ran a story entitled, "7 Franchises That Went Bankrupt." ( See http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/107369/7-franchises-that-went-bankrupt.html )

   All of the following companies filed for Chapter 11 protection, though many of their stores still remain open:

   • Mrs. Fields (owner of TCBY yogurt)
   • Cork and Olive
   • Bennigan's
   • Dial-A-Mattress
   • Bally Total Fitness
   • Fatburger
   • Buffets Inc. (owners of Old Country Buffet and Hometown Buffet

   Posted on July 24, 2009 - 03:21 PM #
7. Skybill9
   

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   Posts: 1,597

   Dial-A Mattress?????

   Does it come with a hooker?

   Posted on July 24, 2009 - 05:07 PM #
8. Alfredo_T
   

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   Posts: 1,414

   Does it come with a hooker?

   Perhaps at the Veneto hotel in Panama City....

   Posted on July 24, 2009 - 05:08 PM #
9. Alfredo_T
   

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   Posts: 1,414

   My former employer (Lattice Semiconductor Corp.) announced on Thursday that they would be laying off 64 employees, which represents 8% of their workforce. Today, the hatchets fell. I don't know how close they are to making it onto our list of doomed companies, but one former co-worker, who was still employed there as of Wednesday, said that things were pretty rough.

   Posted on July 24, 2009 - 11:26 PM #
10. skeptical
    

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    Looks like the restructuring of GI Joe's by former managers has FAILED! Dick's Sporting Goods are moving into the 6 stores the ex-Joe's managers were planning to use.

    Whats the word on the golf course Trixter?

    Posted on July 27, 2009 - 01:13 PM #
11. Alfredo_T
    

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    Posts: 1,414

    On Friday evening, I rode by the (former) Mariscos Playa de Oro at the corner of 5th and Baseline in Hillsboro. My hopes of a tasty seafood dinner were dashed as I saw that the sign had been covered up, and a FOR LEASE placard was on one of the windows of the empty building.

    Posted on July 29, 2009 - 12:39 PM #
12. Alfredo_T
    

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    Posts: 1,414

    Churchill Media - Shut down operations and is liquidating all assets.

    Posted on December 31, 2009 - 02:41 PM #
13. Bertha
    

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    Posts: 411

    Here are a few more companies that are in some MAJOR TROUBLE! Im guessing these companies won't be around much longer!

    Blockbuster- This company is DOOMED! There is no way they can compete with direct tv, Red Box and Net Flix.
    Im sorry but the days of going to the Blockbuster, Hollywood Video are OVER! Most Blockbusters are closing down or will be closing down. The Blockbuster on 185th is Closing down. I just saw a sign last week that says they are leaving.

    Linens N Things- Just read an article that they will be filing for Chapter 11.

    Posted on December 31, 2009 - 03:28 PM #
14. trixter
    

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    The Blockbuster on Cornelius Pass Road is hanging in there. I was talking to the owner the other day and she said until Corporate closes her down she is in business...

    Posted on December 31, 2009 - 03:30 PM #
15. Bertha
    

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    Posts: 411

    The Blockbuster on Cedar Hills Blvd in Beaverton is still hanging on(barely) and open. Gotta admit, every time I drive by it, it is dead inside. Infact a few years ago they had to knockdown half the store to save money. So now the Blockbuster is half the size it was 2 years ago. I might actually stop by there and rent a few Dvd's since BlockBuster and other movie rental places will soon be a thing of the past.

    Blockbuster- R.I.P.

    Posted on December 31, 2009 - 03:37 PM #
16. trixter
    

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    Hollywood on TV HWY in Aloha is always busy... Don't know how they are doing but whenever I go buy the parking lot is full....

    Posted on December 31, 2009 - 03:42 PM #
17. Darktemper
    

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    Posts: 729

    Didn't Hollywood Video just purchase the Movie Gallery chain? Hollywood Video closed the store in Salmon Creek which was always busy. They had a game crazy there to that also closed. I think they are starting to feel the crunch from people streaming their entertainment and Red Box.

    

    Posted on December 31, 2009 - 04:09 PM #
18. Chico
    

    flaming capacitor
    Posts: 46

    So what's the scoop with Churchill Media? Over expansion? Underfunded? Both? Who do you folks think will grab these frequencies?

    Posted on December 31, 2009 - 04:24 PM #
19. Bertha
    

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    Posts: 411

    All video chains will be gone by the end of next year- Blockbuster, Hollywood, ect.
    There is so much competition. Not to mention, McDonalds was giving away free Redbox Coupons with a meal.
    Free New Release Dvd's at Redbox.

    Posted on December 31, 2009 - 04:26 PM #
20. trixter
    

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    Posts: 3,214

    Wait until Comcast strikes a deal with the movie companies. New movies 2 weeks after they're out in the theaters...

    Once Netflix does the same streaming to your TV...

    DVD's will be gone by 2014...

    Get your 50GB memory stick out and download whatever you want... Movies, TV shows, Video Games... It will all be a click away... Or a Kiosk away...

    Bank on it...

    Posted on December 31, 2009 - 04:40 PM #
21. kennewickman
    

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    Posts: 837

    Managing video and audio to the minions.

    DVRs and IPODS and the Internet.

    I am wondering how long it will be till Blueray will totally replace DVD format. Obsoleting DVD format and facilitating the discontinued production of DVD players in lieu of Blueray exclusively. To Wit...all existing DVDs will be obsoleted by the absence of new DVD players.

    I was standing in some video store the other day after Christmas going thru some DVDs on sale, and got a " rush ' on this...just another depressing thought as I considered NOT buying any more movies.

    Our Hollywood video store is still open..but it is more like a clearing house for previewed movies than a rental place...also, they have a " no late policy" which is you just buy the disc after you dont return it after 5 days...pay full boat for the rental up front...a little spendy, but that is how they do it...prelude to 'the end '..

    Posted on December 31, 2009 - 04:45 PM #
22. Bertha
    

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    Posts: 411

    Yup, Dvd's Will be a thing of the past in a few more years, I have also been hearing that. Same thing with the Compact Disc. I don't see the Cd around for too much longer either.

    Posted on December 31, 2009 - 04:50 PM #
23. skeptical
    

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    DVDs will be around for longer than 2014. They're not just for movies. Computers are still being sold with DVD burners. We're looking beyond 2020. By the way, doesn't BluRay players also play regular DVDs?

    Posted on December 31, 2009 - 04:54 PM #
24. kennewickman
    

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    I dont know...seems to me..my brother had an older Blueray and it didnt play regular DVD, but maybe someone figured out how to do that little trick, which would make sense for the longer term IMO.

    Posted on December 31, 2009 - 05:01 PM #
25. Bertha
    

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    Posts: 411

    In 2014 kids will have Cd's and DvD's, although they will think they are Coasters, not movies/ Music.

    I can just hear it now. "Oh Look at that pretty Nirvana Coaster, Its got the name of the album and the track listing.
    I am definetly getting it for my table. I need Coasters so I can put my Tripple venti Mochas on at work."

    Posted on December 31, 2009 - 05:53 PM #
26. skeptical
    

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    Kennewickman, I don't know for sure, that's why I'm asking. If they don't and if there's no expensive technical reason why they can't play them, then we're being had again -- forced obsolence.

    Posted on December 31, 2009 - 06:30 PM #
27. jr_tech
    

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    Posts: 600

    Some info here:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray_Disc#Backward_compatibility

    I have not seen one that did not play std DVDs and CDs as well as BDs. My Sony S350 up-converts the DVDs to 1080p, and they look pretty nice! No problem playing home-burned DVDs or CDs either.

    Posted on December 31, 2009 - 07:14 PM #
28. Skybill9
    

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    Posts: 1,597

    "Once Netflix does the same streaming to your TV..."

    They already do! In fact, when I was researching which HDTV to buy, I found some that had that feature built in to them.

    I'd like to see them (and maybe they already do), have a HDTV that can access your home network and pull music, pictures and videos off any machine or network storage device on your network as well as stream from the internet.

    My DirecTV DVR could pull pix and music off any PC I wanted to on my network.

    Skep, I don't know for sure about the regular Blue Ray players, but my son's PS3 will play Music CD's, DVD's and Blue Ray disks.

    I think that when I buy a Blue Ray player, I may just spend the extra $50 to $100 and get a PS3. That way we don't have to keep moving my son's when we want to watch a Blue Ray movie!

    Posted on January 1, 2010 - 02:47 AM #
29. trixter
    

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    DVDs will be around for longer than 2014. They're not just for movies.

    Sorry...

    I meant for movies... Not storage... Just DVD movies... Blue Ray doesn't have long before complete digital over the air/computer will be norm.

    Posted on January 1, 2010 - 03:01 PM #
30. Alfredo_T
    

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    Posts: 1,414

    Greek Cusina went out of business recently, and the big purple octopus statue will be going up for auction on eBay. According to a KXL report that aired yesterday, a recent inspection by the Portland fire marshall found 50 fire safety violations on the premises. The Greek Cusina was forced by the city to pay for a $500-per-day monitoring program until it could demonstrate that all of the safety violations had been corrected. Proceeds from the auction of the octopus statue will be donated to charity.

    Posted on January 5, 2010 - 06:11 PM #
31. Skybill9
    

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    I saw that on the news last night.

    Bummer! I liked their food.

    Posted on January 5, 2010 - 06:25 PM #
32. trixter
    

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    Didn't they get a 55 on "Dirty Dinning" one time??? I might be wrong....

    Posted on January 5, 2010 - 06:27 PM #
33. Alfredo_T
    

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    Posts: 1,414

    An Oregonian story on the Greek Cusina says that one of the main safety violations was a modification to the building where a large part of the third floor was cut out to build an atrium. This, according to city inspectors, considerably weakened the building to the point that it could partially collapse in the event of a moderate earthquake.

    Posted on January 5, 2010 - 06:28 PM #
34. trixter
    

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    WOW!

    Not good....

    Posted on January 5, 2010 - 06:39 PM #
35. Vitalogy
    

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    The city is better off with that dump shut down.

    Posted on January 5, 2010 - 08:03 PM #
36. Alfredo_T
    

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    Posts: 1,414

    Air America Radio - Filed for Chapter 7 and will shut down operations

    Posted on January 21, 2010 - 05:38 PM #
37. Craig_Adams
    

    Radio historian
    Posts: 2,132

    McGrath's Fish House Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

    http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/02/01/daily26.html

    Posted on February 5, 2010 - 11:50 PM #
38. Brianl
    

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    Posts: 1,211

    "McGrath's Fish House Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy"

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

    This has been an exceptionally harsh time for the restaurant industry, especially the upper-end ones.

    Posted on February 6, 2010 - 08:28 AM #
39. Skybill9
    

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    I'm not sure I'd call McGrath's an upper end restaurant.

    I've eaten at the one in Vancouver several times (6-7) and to me it's better than Rude Lobster by far, but sill along the same lines.

    IIRC most of the items on the menu were fried. Quite a few that weren’t but it seems like the majority were.

    Don't get me wrong, I love fried stuff! But I like to try fish other ways.

    Now, Jakes. That's what I call an upper end fish house!

    Posted on February 6, 2010 - 12:57 PM #
40. Brianl
    

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    Yeah I love Jake's too, and Joe's Crab Shack is a fun place. I still really liked McGrath's.

    Posted on February 6, 2010 - 12:59 PM #
41. Craig_Adams
    

    Radio historian
    Posts: 2,132

    Haven't been back to Rude Lobster in over 10 years!! I was SOO MAD, I got up and walked out! They were THEE WORST!! I hope they're next on this list.

    Posted on February 8, 2010 - 03:36 AM #
42. Listener_Pete
    

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    I don't think McGrath's will be closing it's doors anytime soon, we were there (Cedar Hills Crossing) Saturday for dinner and there was a 40-minute wait. I read somewhere that their problem is because of their expansion into Arizona.

    Posted on February 8, 2010 - 08:29 AM #
43. Skybill9
    

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    Craig, I can't disagree with you. We tried Rude Lobster again about 18 moths ago and all it did was remind me why I should never go there again!

    Posted on February 8, 2010 - 10:37 AM #
44. Craig_Adams
    

    Radio historian
    Posts: 2,132

    Vancouver's only K-Mart closed after 35 years:

    http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/feb/13/kmart-to-close-sunday/

    Posted on February 15, 2010 - 03:43 AM #
45. Brianl
    

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    I'm shocked it was open as long as it was, that K-Mart has been a ghost town for years.

    Posted on February 15, 2010 - 07:38 AM #
46. Master of Disaster
    

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    Posts: 425

    I'm wearing a sweatshirt I bought at the Vancouver K-Mart a few years ago right now. The "ghost town" comment is the truth, as well as that K-Mart sells much of the same low-quality items as somewhere like Target or Wal-Mart, which have both done heavy expansion in Clark County. Add to the fact that many low-cost-oriented shoppers in Vancouver head for Oregon to dodge the sales tax.

    Posted on February 15, 2010 - 09:18 AM #
47. Skybill9
    

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    Posts: 1,597

    "Vancouver's only K-Mart closed after 35 years:"

    No great loss.

    I'm sorry for the employees though. I hope they get some kind of severance.

    Posted on February 15, 2010 - 04:13 PM #
48. Deane Johnson
    

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    Posts: 1,148

    Wal-Mart and Target are so potent, K-Mart has no market niche. They have Wal-Mart on the low cost side, they had Target on the slightly more upscale side. There was no place for them to go. They lost their grip years ago.

    Posted on February 15, 2010 - 04:17 PM #
49. Brianl
    

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    Posts: 1,211

    Wal-Mart and Target, you have to give credit for re-designing and modernizing their stores, their entire business model. K-Mart has done NONE of that, all they've done from what I have seen is change their logo. They refused to be proactive, so they are dying out.

    Also, what has their marketing been over the last few years? The only time I have seen anything regarding K-Mart on TV or radio or even print is when it is the news announcing the next round of store closures for them. ZERO marketing.

    Posted on February 15, 2010 - 06:58 PM #
50. Craig_Adams
    

    Radio historian
    Posts: 2,132

    Just heard that Carl Greve Jewelers at Bridgeport Village just shut down that location.

    Posted on February 24, 2010 - 09:00 PM #

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