Let's Get Physical

If you want it, you can have it. Right now, anytime anyplace. Streaming services are all the rage. It’s immediate but it’s not permanent. You get a bite but no lasting satisfaction. If you want to go back and savor those feelings again, it’s gonna cost you. Welcome to the real world of streaming.

There was a great article on the Minnpost web site a while back. It was entitled: Protecting Physical Media in an Age of Streaming written by Joshua Badroos. I wanted to share some of his thoughts here because it struck me as an interesting insight into today’s approach to sharing… practically anything.

Joshua writes:” The constant shuffling of online media between major steaming conglomerates has resulted in physical media’s futility in the eyes of the general public. We live in the streaming age, but it’s also an age where the cultural impact of art preservation is needed now more than ever.”

I’ve had books on my shelves for many years. A lot of them came from my perusing the Better World Books website in their bargain bin and specials categories. It’s a book library I can go back to and revisit every ten years or so when my memory bank has finally let them go to dust and rereading them brings back only happy memories. Picture books are like that; treasures that never get old.

Joshua continues: “Art preservation is at the forefront of this streaming puzzle because of the cultural significance of owning physical media. Much like artifacts, art has been replaced, lost and not protected. Now, instead of encouraging ownership of your favorite titles, businesses that still champion the physical media medium are fighting an uphill battle.”

The physical media that Joshua refers to can take on almost any form and function. My vinyl and CD collection isn’t the greatest but it does hold numerous memories for me. The same is true of my 8-track tape collection. Of course, at this stage in the game, the only place I can play them are my record player and my old Buick back in Palm Springs. But they’re still useable and enjoyable to use.

Timothy Wilson, owner of Urban Lights Music, spoke on the importance of connecting to music in today’s streaming era. He said: “People are not in touch with music as much…music doesn’t have a shelf life anymore. When we used to open an album, we could see who produced the song and who wrote the song. Now nobody talks about what came out two weeks ago; they’re wondering what’s coming out two weeks from now because there’s no physical attachment to it anymore.”

Artists are on the losing end of this equation too. Wilson continues: “At the end of the day, a physical sale is worth more to an artist than the stream. Their stream is worth three-tenths of a penny. Whereas I can still buy an album and it might cost me 20, 30, or 40 bucks, but now the artist actually makes more for their art.”

Joshua’s conclusions said it best: “Taking the steps now to seek out and contribute to the resurgence of buying DVDs and records won’t just add to your bookshelf at home; it’ll play a role in art preservation for future generations.”

The same argument could be made for owning a home instead of renting, leasing something instead of buying it or subscribing instead of an outright purchase. In the end, it probably comes down to which approach best fits your lifestyle, income and personal preferences. I like to own physical property so I can watch it, listen to it, and know that it’s always there, ready to be taken off the shelf whenever the mood strikes me.

Amen to that.

Sad and Lonesome Death of DVDs

The first inkling that things were changing came right under my nose came as I was driving home with our Chevy Impala rental car. As usual my fingers went probing for the CD slot to play my favorite music. None could be found. When I inquired at the rental car company they stared at me through the phone. My kids were less kind and laughed at me. So I went to my secret advisor and Google stated quite simply that General Motors no longer equipped their new cars with such antiquated means of carrying a tune.

“Well, pardon me for missing that seismic change in my life” I thought out loud. When did someone decide that the old reliable CD or, DVD for that matter, was no longer cutting edge technology? I guess the answer is ‘everyone else.’ I just didn’t notice those changes coming fast and furious all around me.

Now instead of delivering packages of entertainment and distraction through the mail or in retail stores, it’s all gone ‘streaming.’ There are streaming movies, streaming cable series and streaming music services. Anything under the sun is for sale on our computer screen. Oops, I misspoke. I meant to say on our tiny iPhone screen. So much for checking the mail every day or visiting my local music shop. Now I can sit on my butt, munch on bon-bons, and get everything and anything I desire (not need, mind you) at the touch of my fingertips.

But try as it might, technology hasn’t won me over quite yet. Case in point, I have an old but reliable Sony turntable and CD / tape player downstairs. Truth be told. I don’t use it very often. But the sound is still good and the emotions emoted still comforting. The same can be said for my stack of LPs (that’s long playing) records.

I never got into 8 track tapes or reel to reel audio recorders. But there is a shelf of audio tapes still down stars. Until the untimely demise of my Ford Escape I had a good place to play them. But atlas I still have an old cassette player to take up the slack when the mood strikes me.

I never got into video discs and my collection of VHS and DVD movies hasn’t moved much. But they’re still a source of enjoyment some evenings. Despite what Hollywood would like you to believe they actually made good movies before the present hysteria over the latest summer blockbuster. I was never tempted to switch to Blue ray or Digital DVDs. Now even those devices are old fashioned and quickly being replaced by ‘The Cloud’ and other streaming services.

Progress marches on. My flip phone will soon be obsolete. If Microsoft finds out that I’ve still got Windows 4 to back up my Windows 7 they’d probably come and shut me down. Oh, my, how do I survive?

Perhaps it’s a good thing I wasn’t born around the turn of the century. I have nothing against the horseless carriage but horses are a noble animal. And I wouldn’t have to change their oil. It’s all part of a paradigm shift taking place 24/7 in our lives. From entertainment to medicine to transportation to everyday living, the only constant seems to be constant change.

For the last hundred years we’ve been sucked into this reflective prism called ‘new.’ New is good. Old is bad. It’s as simple as that. Even back in 1946 a portable typewriter was the end all be all…until a couple of years later they sparked the keys with electricity.

Don’t get me wrong. I love using Google Drive. I love sharing my thoughts and ideas through my blogs (400 and counting). I love showing my brand on Facebook; 3 separate sites, and Twitter (although I don’t use it) and LinkedIn to expand my reach.

Self-publishing has been a God-send in terms of publishing and sharing my novels. That in turn has given me increased credibility as a playwright and screenwriter.

But time marches on, leaving only fading memories in its wake. I think it’s OK to hold on those old musical tools of the trade while the rest of technology morphs away along with our past lives. I accept that one has to keep up with the crowd or at least graciously accept those constant changes. I’ll do so when it fits my work routine or presents new avenues of distraction. So goes the circle of life.

In the meantime, I still get to keep my audio tapes, LPs, VHS and DVD tapes. When the mood strikes I can always retreat downstairs and get lost in my music and movies. On the road, my 2015 Toyota Camry has a CD player so I intend to keep it going forever or until…

It’s comforting to know that the music never has to end.