Comments on: CircuitBuster Would Merge Failure With Fiasco

By: When two brands can’t cut the mustard, they might try to make a sandwich | Brands Create Customers

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 12:44:47 +0000

[...] John Paczkowski labeled this proposed buy-out, “failure meets fiasco.” Like what, exactly, are the synergies between a foundering movie rental chain and a [...]

By: John Paczkowski

John Paczkowski — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:56:47 +0000

Ha! [spray of coffee jets across monitor]. You aren’t by any chance a commercial fisherman? That might explain your pre-disposition to the word ‘flounder.’

By: Michael McDonald

Michael McDonald — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:57:49 +0000

Thanks for the language update John. Guess all these years I thought people said “flounder” when what they really said was “founder.” My hearing must have been affected when I got too close to the cannons during the Hundred Years’ war — good thing my “bidness” didn’t depend on it.

By: John Paczkowski

John Paczkowski — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:06:41 +0000

Hey Michael …

I am doing my best to add some new vocabulary to the tech journalist’s lexicon, but sadly ‘founder’ is not a word of my own creation. It’s been around since the 14th century, I believe.

Founder
Main Entry:
1. to become disabled; especially : to go lame
2. to fail utterly; collapse; “The project foundered”

As far as BlockBuster’s proposed acquisition of Circuit City goes, well … I suppose some of CC’s inventory is complimentary to BB. Perhaps there is something here. That said, these deals rarely seem to work out well (Remember Circuit City+Napster?).

Oh, at the time I wrote this post, I hadn’t heard that Icahn was backing the deal. That certainly counts for something. And, yes, he is far better at making money than me.

By: Michael McDonald

Michael McDonald — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:20:58 +0000

Thanks for sharing the view of the “herd”, but just what the heck is a “foundering company” anyway? I have heard of companies “floundering” but am wondering if being a cutting-edge journalist, you have added a new phrase to the lexicon and I am just behind the times — something that wouldn’t surprise anyone given that I would also rather bet that Carl Ichan actually might have a clue how to make money than I would that you understand the potential for this deal. The one area we will agree is that conventional opinion appears very negative regarding the proposal; in my language that spells opportunity.