Red Friday 2007

The Friday after Thanksgiving is referred to as Black Friday, as the retaillers usually see a profit that day. I refer to it as RED Friday, as most americans will only add to their debt on that day, and the money spent will find it's way into the coffers of the communist Chinese government. I started this last year in this other post, and I will continue to do an annual jeremiad about it until people listen, or our economy crashes. Yes, it's looking like the former possibility is more likely.

So, what's changed since last year? Well, the value of the American Dollar is down 30% versus the Euro, and also down against the British Pound and Japanese Yen. Ahh, but the dollar hasn't fallen in relation to the Chinese Yuan right? The Chinese currency is pegged to the US Dollar, so that as our dollar gets weaker, chinese imports to this country won't spike in value. Which means that americans can continue to buy chinese goods until the Dollar is 1:1 with the old Italian Lira, and the destruction of our economy is complete.

Oil, on the other hand, is not pegged to the Dollar, as any observer will note that the cost of a barrel of oil is up 60% from this time last year. Yes, it hurts, and will continue to hurt, until we both reduce consumer consumption and get our currency under control.

So, what does this have to do with shopping on RED Friday? Here are some suggestions:

1. Don't buy so much stuff!
2. If you just have to but stuff, don't buy stuff made in China.
3. Instead of buying a plasma TV, buy a copy of 'The Wealth of Nations' by Adam Smith.
4. Instead of buying a new Playstation, buy a copy of 'The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' by Edward Gibbon.
5. Some of you are talented folks, so craft something instead. We used to make stuff in this country, so revive the tradition.

How Many Bloggers..

.does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

This past semester, I wrote a paper on the cost comparison between incandescent, LED, and compact fluoresent (CFL) lightbulbs. Here's the result, and then I'll 'splain it:

All bulbs compared were higher-quality units, so that we weren't comparing ultra-cheap items to expensive ones. All costs are also modified to allow for 3% annual inflation.

• Replacement costs were based on the bulbs needed to produce 750 lumens for 6 hours per day, factored for the lifespan (in hours) for each bulb, and projected over 20 years.
  
  
• Disposal costs were calculated by taking the total bulbs needed over 20 years, and for incandescent and LED bulbs, projecting standard waste disposal costs for normal trash. For CFL disposal, I factored in a proposed $0.50 per bulb disposal fee.
  
  
• Electrical costs were based on producing 750 lumens for 6 hours per day, at $0.08 per KWH (Nebraska costs). Depending on where you live, the electrical costs would be significantly higher.
  

As you can see from the chart, over twenty years, CFL bulbs are cheapest to operate, even if the cost per CFL bulb stays relatively flat.