Prime directive

So the other day I was looking on Amazon for a new laptop bag.  My old one doesn't have handles and Walter chewed off one of the zipper pulls.  I found this snappy red one with retractable handles for $21.99 which I thought to be a reasonable price.

Then I saw that the shipping and handling was $8.54 which I thought to be UNreasonable.  I mean, its basically neoprene and weighs nothing.

This led mean to think again about an Amazon Prime membership.  If I were a Prime member, this item would be on my doorstep in 2 days for free.  But would I order enough stuff to justify the $99. annual membership fee?  Conversations with my colleagues at work revealed that all of them are Prime members and they enjoy not only free shipping on lots of stuff, but also free movies and TV series (streamed like Netflix), and now free music too.  

One of my colleagues said that when she realizes she's a couple days from needing diapers, she just orders them from Amazon and they arrive on her doorstep.  No need to make a special trip to the store and lug home a heavy/bulky box of diapers.

Then I remembered Joe P telling us about an Amazon Prime original series called Transparent that he really liked.  (It has 2 Golden Globe nominations.)  So I clicked on the Prime tab and saw that they offer a free month's subscription, so I signed up.  I immediately got free shipping and 2-day delivery of my snappy red laptop bag, and then went home and began watching Transparent.

Its about a divorced couple and their adult children, all of whom have their own issues.  Dad begins a journey to become a transgendered woman (hence the title), mom is dealing with the terminal illness of her 2nd husband, son Josh sleeps with every woman he meets and then thinks he's in love with each of them, older daughter Sarah leaves her husband and children to rekindle a romance with an old girlfriend, and younger daughter Ali struggles with the monotony of life despite having no job or responsibilities to tie her down.  We loved it and watched all 10 episodes within 24 hours!

I haven't spent much time perusing the other original series and movies available, but I'm going to try to get as much viewing as possible done during my free 30-day trial membership.  Then I'll decide if the $99. annual membership is worth it.

Anyone else have Amazon Prime?  What do you think?