The Quest For More pt 1

(No actual monetary figures were researched. The figures contained herewithin are used solely for illustration of certain points and are not to be taken literally. Void where prohibited.)

Things seem to be getting out of hand on all fronts and panic is spreading like….whatever it is that spreads quickly.

Gas prices are through the roof. Housing. Food. You name it, it’s getting silly. But why? Is there less stuff? I don’t think so. Can we blame somebody? Yep.

Ourselves.

That’s the rub. We’re doing this to ourselves and we don’t care to stop it. Rather than recognize what is actually causing the skyrocketing gas prices we just look for more while pretending to want to quit. Heroin addicts are even starting to judge us.

I blame television. Not what’s on it exactly, because let’s face it, it’s generally crap. Always has been, always will be, nothing new there. More so the technological advancements that make it absolutely necessary to see the hair on Harry Hamlin’s knuckles while he waltzes around the dancefloor with that chick from the show in the 90’s about the girl who didn’t eat enough.

While I am not personally a fan of the Dancing Stars I do get the mind candy concept and understand why it is popular. More power to them. But do we NEED it to be in HD?

Maybe. But at what cost.

The HDTVs that we see in the stores are pretty advanced units. They look phenomenal. Especially sports. And considering the technology involved they are cheap. I don't have one. I want one. I will probably get one.

HDTV depends on the majority (if not all) of the future infrastructure being HD across the board. To make it affordable to the masses there is really no way they can be made in North America. The television sets would cost $3000.

So, in order to reach as many houses as possible, the production is sent to China where they can make them for much cheaper on a per unit basis. In the end the TV sets are now available for $1500. That’s considerably cheaper than the previous price of $3000. Let’s get one.

But China has to manufacture these sets somehow and that requires a power source. By shipping production off-shore we create a whole new market for petrol. Without the previous need (or the means) for China to purchase oil North America was the major consumer. Now that China is in the game there is a whole new level of demand on a finite supply.

I didn’t pay much attention in Economics class (ps, it’s pretty boring stuff) but the one basic principle that everyone can grasp is the law of supply and demand.

The oil producers are well aware of this and don’t feel like selling it to North America for $65/barrel when they can get $100 from Asia. Turns out they don’t really care if we have a god-given right to pay less than $4/gallon for gas. Not sure they even recognize that god as an authority anyway.

So we now own a $3000 TV for which we only paid $1500. That frees up $1500 to help offset the rising fuel costs. Except it doesn’t.

Here’s the rub. Very few people have $3000 to spend on a TV and therefore don’t have the extra cash kicking around ready to toss into their car.

The good news is that it isn’t really the end of the world. Despite what CNN says (in fullHD 1080p Dolby Surround THX no less).

(I’m well aware that I used the word “rub” twice. That is on purpose. I hate when things rub.)