So I've been ripping my DVDs to a media server as well as going to used book stores and adding to the collection just so I can stop funding all this woke nonsense. From a technical standpoint its all cool and fun and I've been sharing my story with various friends (omitting the 'woke' part because many of these guys are all part of the facebook consciousness 'Landru, save us')
From 3 separate people at 3 separate times now - my talking about just using my own library for streaming purposes rather than pay the fee has led to them responding, exactly word for word, "I subscribe to Disney+ because I can't afford to buy all those Disney movies" like it's some sort of hypnotic suggestion. (and I don't even bring up Disney+, just streaming services in general)
Certainly that's true if you buy the discs new - but if you get them off of EBay or a used book store you can pick up most Disney movies on bluray for under $10 and DVD for usually $5! So, yeah, you've got some costs up front if you're a BIG Disney fan of yore but the media is YOURS, can't be edited for content behind your back and you'll always have access to it (and will eventually recoup the cost)
I had a friend last night (that spurred on this rant) then go on to say that he watched "The Black Hole" and "The Apple Dumpling Gang" which he would've never seen if he didn't have D+ - As if he's justifying the $90/year price tag to himself by saying he's watching movies he couldn't be bothered to watch without it? Don't get me wrong - I'm a spend your money as you see fit kinda guy. But none of my friends were touting how GREAT D+ was... they were all grudgingly defending their monthly tithes to the mouse (I have it because it'd be more expensive to not have it) and, more importantly, using the same verbiage...
Just an odd Sunday morning note...
Taking to the high seas is great and all but I think used book stores are somewhat undervalued. Libraries are cool, and the inter-library loan system is awesome, but in the end you pretty much have curated options, with no option to own. Used book stores are wild, you really have no idea what can show up there. Sure, the contents of the store is curated by the owner or who ever is working the desk but in my experience they'll take pretty much anything. And many of them offer credit. You can show up with a stack of books, drop it off, browse around, and return to buy a new stack of books and get charged 50 cents. They are pretty much for profit libraries.
Another thing, in my own experience, is that the people that run stores like that are similar to the people who ran independent video rental stores. They have extensive knowledge and a genuine love for the media they are selling. Chat one up and they will unload a crazy amount of esoteric information about Philip José Farmer, Robert Silverberg, or EE Doc Smith and the Lensman series.