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"Our only achievements have been profit driven creations to establish needs ie 24-7 advertising where they don't exist"

Ever notice how much stuff we pay for that isn't stuff?

Just look at the "Subscription Service" business model, where you pay monthly but receive nothing (or close to it).

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Our children and grandchildren are buried in monthly subscription charges that we never had. Eating away at their ability to buy a house, a car, pay for their healthcare, advance their education without tremendous debt, etc. Ironically, three major free access TV networks over an antenna paid for by a modest amount of advertising in the 1950s and 60s was higher quality and less invasive than the infinite subscription choices over a monthly cable subscription.

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The Invisible Subscription continue for a lifetime. Think Microsoft, think the anti-virus software that is required to protect your Microsoft software...

That's a Extraction with Synergy.

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So buy a Mac. Problem solved. I gave up Microsoft software development in 2000 because of all the annual add ons, in addition to having to pay for OS upgrades.

I'm not saying Apple is perfect but I will say "Go Mac and don't look back." Unless you're a real renegade and want to tackle Linux.

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Great suggestion. My comment was referring to All the long-term payments that are extracted from us. Other examples are Hulu, Netflix et al, and my most despised Amazon Prime, where you pay a subscription for the right to buy things and receive Amazon Prime Video that ensnares you with add-on costs. Extraction.

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I just bought a new computer and Microsoft Office is now an annual subscription instead of something you download once and upgrade at your own choice. I've been perfectly happy with MS Office 10 and have never upgraded it!

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Check out "Open Office". It's a free office suite that can support MS Office products. Warning, there is a learning curve. Or consider going Mac where their word processing and spreadsheet apps are included with the OS **which has free updates**.

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Thanks. Not going Mac though I have had a little experience using others Mac computers. I'll take a look at Open Office. The subscription MS Office is free for a year with my new computer but there's no reason I must renew & pay if I can still access my documents with Open Office. Thanks for the suggestion.

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I started using Open Office when I was still using Windows and just stuck with it when I made the migration, er mac-gration. The computers are more expensive but you save so much on updates and so, so, so many fewer headaches with hacks and virus infections and blue screen crashes.

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I refuse to pay for programs that are reruns that I already paid to see the first time. I have an Antenna and if I want I can rewatch movies I already bought. I was always more the Reading type than TV. And thereтАЩs still Libraries.

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Way back when cable, etc., was first coming out, I didn't subscribe because at the time I was watching entirely too much TV, so didn't want to pay for something that would encourage me to watch even more! To this day all we have is antenna. If nothing "good" is on, so be it.

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Oh, don't get me started. I'm calling Xfinity for what it is. I just received a $20.00 increase without prior notice for internet-only service. I thought I was clever in dropping TV and switching to occasional streaming, but now my bill just increased by nearly one-third.

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Right now IтАЩm paying $106.00 for internet and cell phone. Higher than my electric living in Fl.But my electric is as low as it is because I know some good tips.Everything is going up here.

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About the same for me, Marcia.

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