Brewster Rockit by Tim Rickard for October 19, 2024

Yep. Our local video store has seen an increase in business from the younger set.

A novel idea. If only they could do that with books.

Today’s the last day of a week long family reunion at Lake Tahoe. My contribution was a slide show of family slides from the early 70s. Probably 200 or more. Grand fun, but what do I do with them now? Kids don’t want them. I may scan a few and put them on DVD. Otherwise the kids will get them in the end. I just can’t toss them. Seal them and store them, I guess.

My friend is a college professor. She tells me she has students who have never read an entire book.

Having cleaned out some homes of elderly parents I wish they’d streamed instead of collecting stuff in closets, garages, basements, etc.

Streamer (based on lyrics from Supertramp’s “Dreamer”):

“Streamer”

Streamer, you know you are a Streamer. Well, can you put your hands in your head? Oh no! I said, Streamer, you’re nothing but a streamer. Well, can you put your hands in your head? Oh no!

I said, “Far out, what a day, a year, a life it is!” You know, well, you know you had it comin’ to you. Now there’s not a lot I can do

Streamer, you stupid little streamer. So, now you put your head in your hands, oh no! Woo!

I said “Far out. What a day, a year, a life it is!” You know, well, you know you had it comin’ to you. Now there’s not a lot I can do

Well, work it out someday. If I could see something. You can see anything you want, boy. If I could be someone. You can be anyone, celebrate, boy. Well, if I could do something. You can do something. If I could do anything. Can you do something out of this world? Take a stream on a Sunday. Take a life, take a holiday. Take a lie, take a streamer. Stream, stream, stream, stream. Stream along. Streamer, come on and stream and stream along. Come on and stream and stream along (a little). Streamer, come on and stream and stream along. Come on and stream and stream along

Streamer, you know you are a streamer. Well, can you put your hands in your head? Oh no! I said, streamer, you’re nothing but a streamer. Well, can you put your hands in your head? Oh no! Oh no!

The ex-stream generation eh.

I collect dust, mostly

Software is getting like that, too. Lots of software is only for rent, you cannot buy it. Adobe does this. If you decide you don’t want to rent the software anymore, you can’t read the files that you have created.

When it comes to downsizing, then what?

How uh…retro

So where do you put them when you don’t have much room? Will you watch them enough times to justify the cost?

An album is a collection, so not necessarily physical.

Say whut? I thought the new thing was NFTs.

I’m not giving up collections. I bought a DVD of my favorite movie, which I can watch anytime, and not pay for services which doesn’t carry it for being too old. Happy trails!

It has it’s advantages. I was having a conversation with my brother about the movie Bullit starring Steve McQueen. It isn’t on any streaming platforms, and my brother wanted to watch it. I went to my shelf, popped it into the player, and we had a nice night watching it together.

By December, I will have 2,400 DVDs. I’ll look at them when I retire.

I’m not looking forward to a future where everything’s “a service.” People have become greedy and lazy. They want to draw a constant stream of income while doing zero work, if possible. Instead of buying anything, you’ll pay for the minutes you use your computer, the software on the computer, and the services each of those services need to run. Think of it like paying rent, but for literally every aspect of your life. Our only hope is that it so totally destroys the economy by charging people into non-functional debt, that the subscription model is forced out for something better.

Good maternal sarcasm.

Your favorite streaming source may be bought out by somebody bigger with higher fees or they just decide to drop your programs, which disappear. DVDs do not last forever but for a good, long time. You can still buy DVD players online in minutes.

Pack Rats Unite!