Lately, I've been pondering physical media. Maybe a lot.
I've recently found a xbox 360 and some games I had back at my parent's house. Not the original xbox 360 I had as a kid, but a xbox 360 slim we had because the old one red ringed to death (goodbye old minecraft worlds). What provoked me to take the 360 back to my place was actually Nintendo. With the news of the switch 2 games being $80, I am finally tired of the needless greed. Instead, I started to go to a nearby retro video game store and is now where I get my video games.
I've also have been stuck inside Half Price Books. Here is some Thomas Pynchon and Dyland Thomas I picked up for only $10 each!
Things that I love about owning physical media that someone else once had is the little quirks left behind in books. My copy of Against The Day has so many.
It is marked December 1st, 2008. It just makes me wonder how many people had this book. How the hell did a book from 2008 survive until 2025? All that time for it to land in my hands at Half Price Books.
It also travled from the Virginia Beach Public Libary.
It was also supposed to be discarded!
Also, my copy of Under Milk Wood has a signature from Brian Kelley.
Brian Kelley, if you're reading this, I have your copy of Under Milk Wood! I went ahead and signed my name under yours.
I also picked up CDs!
Although it’s been fun collecting old gems and indulging in some nostalgia, I have been stressed. Like I said, with Nintendo raising their prices and Microsoft following the same trend, it all just kinda sucks. So many different industries have prioritized profit over the consumer, but that hasn't been new. What is new is the current “fix.”
Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World by Jason Hickel is a warning for the current direction we are heading with capitalism. A fix is when capital bumps up against barriers and has to find a way around it. Our economy is dependent on constant growth, and so when there is a barrier for growth, like better time off, worker minimum wage, or environmental protections, capital must find a way to grow. And most times, these “fixes,” lead to violence. They always almost end in violence. Hickel gives examples of Colonization, The Atlantic Slave Trade, the Opium Wars, and Westward Expansion being a fix. All of this to keep the economy growing.
From my observation, we are seeing a new fix: the unjust increase of prices and replacement of human interaction with AI. Everyday, we are seeing the rise of more class consciousness. People are realizing how we are pitted against each other by a class of people who hold unholy amounts of money. So unholy it feels illegal that they have so much. Then, with the economy in shambles thanks to Trump’s Tariffs, companies are looking for a way to squeeze more money out of consumers by sucking up to the current U.S Administration. We are seeing more and more companies focused on AI products. Waymo are actively working on destroying the taxi industry, ChatGPT are actively working on destroying creative fields by stealing human art and regurgitating it back for us, and we even see our truck drivers being replaced by self-driving Aurora 18-wheelers (I can’t wait to share the highway with something that can plow me over in seconds if there is a malfunction!) We see grifters like Mark Zukerberg completely rebranding themselves to be a Trump supporter so he can keep his dying website alive and sell more of our information; we see grifters like Elon, pushing for more automation through AI, trying to rid his own companies (Tesla, SpaceX) of workers who ask for fair compensation and healthcare; and we see grifters like Joe Rogan, Theo Von, and Andrew Schulz, promoting and profiting off of radical ideas that lead to dangerous right-leaning ideologies then tucktail and claim to be a “moderate,” when criticised. What they have in common is that they are desperate.
Those in charge are desperate and scared. A fix is when they are desperate for a change in their favor. It might seem chaotic right now, but I do think we have the scale tipped on our side. Although the current administration is working on dismantling everything, I still think we have the upper hand. We are reaching a bottle cap in how much growth capitalism can achieve, and they are realizing that. It is why we are seeing such a big push in AI. They are trying to normalize AI and confuse the media that they OWN with misinformation. We have Elon already posting deep fakes… They want to get rid of the working class, but it also doesn’t help that the working class votes against their best interest. But through constant resilience and good healthy conflict, I think MOST will be alright. I hope. But also, this is a time for learning. As much as some want to say to separate art from politics, I will shout back, “ART IS POLITICS.” We must learn through each other. We need to share ideas and collaborate. We must create! And that’s what they want to stop. Because if they do, we will be no better than plain dry paint.
Companies don't want you to own anything, they want to rent it to you. It is why I think it’s more than important now to start collecting physical media again. Collect books, movies, music, and video games before they are burnt or locked away forever. Because it was Ubisoft's Director of Subscriptions, Philippe Tremblay, has said of the situation,“it’s about feeling comfortable with not owning your game.” CST - 05/28/25