The Death of Rocket Video

It is with great sadness that I write this post about the demise of yet another business in my neighborhood. Today was supposed to be the last day of Rocket Video... located at 315 N. La Brea. But the owners have given it another one week reprieve to sell off more of their catalog. Pretty much everything is for sale and the prices are dropping. You should stop by a take a look.

I can't even begin to say how insanely cool Rocket Video was. I was a frequent customer of theirs for 15 years. Rocket Video, along with Vidiots in Santa Monica, was one of only two really amazing video stores in Los Angeles. Rocket had everything...and I do mean everything! They had obscure French movies, Russian movies, Hong Kong movies, Japanese Animation.

Celebrities used the store repeatedly. I was once wandering the aisles and I ran into Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton. I had a nice chat with them for about five minutes. Another time I was checking out at the register and the customer in front of me was Dutch supermodel Frederique Van Der Wal. The employees could tell you boatloads of stories about the things that went on there. They even had special event nights where you could come and listen to a writer or director talk about a certain movie they had produced or worked on in the past.

20 years ago when it started, Rocket Video rented and sold VHS videotapes. Eventually Rocket made the transition from videotapes to DVDs, but the next transition, to digital content, was the one that really killed the business. Competition from Netflix, which didn't charge late fees, had been a problem... but the advent of digital content was the one that really finished off Rocket. The fact that people can now punch a few buttons on their remote control and order movies that are not yet released in DVD form is going to be problematic for many video stores in the future. The gigantic video chain Blockbuster - with 3,400 stores - just filed for bankruptcy. That tells you how bad things are getting for the DVD retail business.

One of the things I will miss the most with Rocket was the sense of surprise and wonderment you got from strolling the aisles there. I rented French movies, Hong Kong action flicks, Vietnamese films... all because I had a chance to see them in physical form and read a blurb about them on the jewel box case. Now, unfortunately, I believe I will get stuck with ordering only big studio blockbusters on Directv.

I stopped by Rocket several times in the last few weeks and loaded up on the many obscure favorites I had found over the years. A Russian movie about Cuba. A Brazilian TV series. An old, obscure TV series called "Kolchak, The Night Stalker" that I had loved as a kid.

Nobody is going to have these anymore.

The Hong Kong action section at Rocket Video will never be duplicated by anyone in America...ever again. It's very sad.

Stop by and give them some business.

If you ever loved the old English comedy series "Benny Hill", you can stop by and purchase the whole series.

That is... if I don't get there first.

Happy Birthday to Mayor Sam

Happy Birthday to Mayor Sam blog founder Michael Higby.

(Higby needs to let me write for Mayor Sam again.)

Kevin James just might be a genius

Radio Show host and Mayoral Candidate Kevin James had an article in the City Journal recently that led me to believe that he just might be a genius.

James proposed that the Los Angeles City Council become a part-time institution.

James argues that this would eliminate some of the corruption by dropping Council Members salaries and perks...and making the position less attractive to career politicians.

I think it is a brilliant idea... but unlikely to ever happen.

The corruption is too deep, and the temptation for ultra-liberals to micromanage the lives of others... well, that attraction never goes away for them.

This outside-the-box thinking by James impresses me.

I'm not on his bandwagon... but the other candidates right now are repulsive.

The Hamburglar? Austin Beutner? Wendy Greuel?

No, thanks.

The City will need a hero in 2013.

I'm still looking for a solid candidate to support.

Chris Christie at Reagan Library tonight

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will be speaking at the Reagan Library tonight in Simi Valley. There were some low expectations that he might make some kind of announcement about possible running for President in 2012.

However, those expectations seem to have been squelched early, as Fox News is claiming they have received insider info that Governor Christie absolutely will not run for President in 2012.

I would imagine the phone banks up in Wasilla, Alaska might start ringing off the hook after Governor Christie makes this announcement.

Todays traffic nightmare brought to you courtesy of Obama 2012!!

The Manchurian President is going to be in town today. He needs to go grab some campaign cash from suckers in the entertainment industry.

Of course, as usual, his motorcade will barricade multiple streets in Los Angeles. Streets that I need to use to do my job and earn a living.

But, as usual, the Prince of self-importance will discard everyone else's freedoms to make sure he gets his campaign cash for his 2012 run.

This guy is, without a doubt, one of the biggest assholes in the world.

And it is not the first time he has done this, either....

Google "Obama traffic nightmare".

You get 7 million hits.

More proof that liberals are hypocrites

Funny story today in the news.

Students at Sam Houston State decided to erect a "Freedom of Speech" wall at their school where students could express themselves. Well, almost...

One of the clever students had the temerity to write "FUCK OBAMA" in rather large letters on the wall. We all know what happens next in liberal-land.

A professor at the University demanded that it be removed.

(I wonder if he taught Russian History?)

The students didn't remove it, so the professor took a box-cutter and removed it himself.

(above photos, before and after)

Realizing their project was proving the opposite of their liberal fantasies, the students eventually scrapped the project.

It's just more proof that all liberals are hypocrites. They are all for Freedom of Speech, as long as you say exactly what they want you to say.

We all know that if the offensive writing was something sexual about Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann, those good proletariat professors would have said nothing.

But talking about their false messiah? Shame on you!

You don't mess around with Vlad

News arrives today that Vladimir Putin will run for President of Russia in the next elections.

Even though Putin has been running things from behind the scenes, his return to the Presidency is practically guaranteed because of his record of achieving results as a leader.

Those Somali pirates who hijacked the Russian ship Moscow University?

Dead.

Those Chechen rebels who initiated the school hostage situation in Beslan?

Dead.

Those troublemakers in Georgia who stepped over the border line in Southern Russia?

They won't be doing that again.

Now I'm not saying that Putin is any type of model for world leadership. But there is one benefit to having a dictator in your country. He gets things done.

No talking. Just action.

He's kind of like the opposite of Barack Obama.