In the latest e-newsletter from my go-to video rental place, Black Dog Video, Darren the owner relates a friend’s challenge to everyone – to spend $10 a month at your local video store instead of giving soulless multinational corporations like Amazon your money. I’m glad to report that I’m already meeting the challenge, and hope others will, too. It’s partly out of a desire to absolve myself of guilt over my use of Netflix (the killer of video stores everywhere). But the main motivator has been to give my 6-year-old, Max, quality alternatives to what seems like an overabundance of aggressive, punchy-fighty fare on the N-thing. So far it’s working out great – Max is now a rabid Studio Ghibli fan (we re-rented “Kiki’s Delivery Service” this week at his special request) and has really enjoyed most everything else we’ve picked out, from “Fantasia” to “The Red Balloon”. He’s always excited now when I suggest a trip to the video store! So, I urge everyone to follow that suggestion and buy local, and rent movies local too. As Darren says: “These giant corporations – your Amazons, your Netflixeses, your Shaws or Apples – they don’t need your hard earned dollars. The local guy – your record stores, your shoe stores, your erotic cake shops and, of course, your video stores – they need your support. These are the places that make living in whatever area of the city you live in great! And the money you spend there stays in the community, it doesn’t go to buy another boat or helicopter for the gross CEO’s of mega-corporations.” Plus, Black Dog Video has tons of great movies – for kids and adults alike- that you won’t find on Netflix.