Who knew the three “R’s” could be so exciting? My dog knew. In fact the squirrels that live in my front yard know as well. But did I? No, not really. For years I have been subscribing to various online streaming services. And for years the services have reduced not only what they offer, but downgrading it by inserting commercials. One main reason I signed up was to watch uninterrupted shows/movies. NO COMMERCIALS! Now before I am labeled a “Hater” which I am not, well a tiny bit at least when it pertains to melted ice cream – they have invaded my life once more. As the major streaming services all have added commercials or will be, my personal direction has been to cancel them. Another strategy I will be activating soon is “Selective Monthly Viewing” or SMV for short. A simple example is canceling a streaming service until they add content that appeals to me, then subscribing for enough time to view the new shows/movies/content and canceling/unsubscribing after viewing.
But wait! Are there other avenues to avoid the pay-per-view commercial? Yes, we now pay for commercials when commercials used to pay for content. Yes, I know I can view over the air, just not in my area as there’s no direct line of site to any broadcasting antennas. Big sigh… Of course some shows are only available on certain streaming channels. Like AppleTV and Netflix etc.
Oh my, what to do? Well, my fellow show watchers I now visit my local library for DVD’s Blu-rays of current shows/movies to check out. Do they have everything a streamer has? No. What they do have is enough for me. And I’ve noticed that free streaming platforms have been adding premium content. Which is very cool! My local library is fairly close and plus carries a large selection of the books/authors I also read. So for me, it’s a win-win. I now watch new movies again with NO COMMERCIALS! Of course that keeps me out of certain circles of friends as I have no idea what they’re talking about. Guess I’m not keeping up with the Jones’s.
And Christmas is almost here! Since most of my family is either visiting Saturn or have relocated out of state, celebrating is a singular function these days. Well, I spend time with my girl and her kids. Although they’re grown and have other venues of their own to visit. I haven’t been writing as many tunes for the past few weeks, but hey, been busy counting pebbles in my backyard. A rocky defense I must say…
I played a boutique with a friend a couple of weeks ago. That was fun. Only butchered 15 Christmas tunes or so. Again in my defense I had a brain cloud. Very serious one as well. Keep singing/playing and adding your voice to the world. Makes it a nicer place to live.
ceej