An unproductive day. Went to the
library for
genealogical work but accomplished little, other than making myself literally
nauseous with scrolling
microfilm. I even got
cockblocked by the library computer’s
porn filter while trying to get to a site which had
New Jersey cemetery inscriptions. Believe me, this irate library patron will be firing off letters within the week.
And then I went to three different stores trying to buy
The Magnificent Seven on
DVD. I finally rented it at
Blockbuster but asked them to void the rental when I changed my mind at the last second. $4.05 to rent a movie I’m going to buy anyway? That’s going to be anywhere between 25 to 50 percent of the purchase price. Forget it.
I believe in stores, really. I believe in
instant gratification and browsing and the sheer thrill of seeing mountains of entertainment offerings at my fingertips. I have
obscure tastes, yes, but this isn’t some obscure
French art film, or even a famous French art film. It’s a fucking
Western. It’s got
Charles Bronson in it. Nothing
elitist here, and I shouldn’t fucking have to fucking
special order the fucking Magnificent fucking Seven.
I love the
convenience of online and the easy
comparison shopping and the one click ordering and the fact that the
mailman brings it to me a few days later. But I don’t want this to be a nation of people in their little hovels ordering their specialized goods. I believe in the
commons, where people come out to meet and mingle and share a
culture. I want to believe, but I can’t believe in a world where The Fucking Magnificent Fucking Seven is some obscure art flick. I
give up.