In Excess
This product I just found out about fits right in with the excesses of the rich and pampered "developed" countries. I'm talking about the Motorized Pool Lounger available from the good folks at Excalibur Electronics, Inc. They proudly claim "The Motorized Pool Lounger may be the most advanced pool lounger in the world." (emphasis my own) Excuse me, but did I miss something? I had no idea humankind was desperately searching for advances to be made in this area.
"Excalibur Electronics: We Make You Think" is the slogan you'll see if you watch the product video. Huh? Go and read the details of the product and you'll find such wonders as "built-in cup holder" and "two separate motor/propeller subassemblies" as well as "requires twelve x 1.5 volt D-cell batteries (not included)". Latest estimates place the U.S. number of batteries used and thrown away each year at approximately 3 billion. That's over 125,000 tons of battery-garbage. Maybe their "thinking" slogan refers to the fun you can have while you float around the pool, using a calculator to determine how much you too can contribute to the garbage, based on things like how many batteries you can use each summer, or the total that you and your friends could use if you really give it your all, collectively. Of course, you could also enjoy the mental challenge of calculating how much weight you could gain each year until your pool lounger can no longer support your bulk, since it can only support "up to 250 pounds!" Not to leave out the too-heavy sloths poolside, they could calculate how many pounds they need to lose until they could climb on board without going glub! glub! straight to the bottom. The only thing to keep in mind is not to spoil the whole fun atmosphere by using solar-powered calculators. Why not see if you can find one that requires D-cell batteries to run? Think of the figgerin' you could do on one of them there suckers!
Is it just me or does anyone else see this as yet another example of the gluttonous excess with which the pampered are consuming the resources of the world? They are stripping it bare, without any thought for those who struggle to survive.
A BizRate Shopping Search tells me that a current best price for D-cell batteries is $7.99 for a two-pack of Energizer's Rechargeables. Do the math. If you need twelve batteries, that means 6 x $7.99, or $47. 94 total. If you took that money instead to Canadian Food for the Hungry International, or to The Samaritan's Purse, you could, for instance, buy a goat for a family in a third world country. You might have to use a little elbow grease to propel yourself around the pool, but while you're doing that, you'd be smiling the whole time, feeling good about the life-saving difference your thoughtfulness had made. Some people, I am sure, would dismiss me as a curmudgeon bent on spoiling innocent fun, but my sincere hope is for the ripple effect to result from this entry. If even just one reader were to see this and rethink a previous attitude or two, I would have accomplished something worthwhile.
"Excalibur Electronics: We Make You Think" is the slogan you'll see if you watch the product video. Huh? Go and read the details of the product and you'll find such wonders as "built-in cup holder" and "two separate motor/propeller subassemblies" as well as "requires twelve x 1.5 volt D-cell batteries (not included)". Latest estimates place the U.S. number of batteries used and thrown away each year at approximately 3 billion. That's over 125,000 tons of battery-garbage. Maybe their "thinking" slogan refers to the fun you can have while you float around the pool, using a calculator to determine how much you too can contribute to the garbage, based on things like how many batteries you can use each summer, or the total that you and your friends could use if you really give it your all, collectively. Of course, you could also enjoy the mental challenge of calculating how much weight you could gain each year until your pool lounger can no longer support your bulk, since it can only support "up to 250 pounds!" Not to leave out the too-heavy sloths poolside, they could calculate how many pounds they need to lose until they could climb on board without going glub! glub! straight to the bottom. The only thing to keep in mind is not to spoil the whole fun atmosphere by using solar-powered calculators. Why not see if you can find one that requires D-cell batteries to run? Think of the figgerin' you could do on one of them there suckers!
Is it just me or does anyone else see this as yet another example of the gluttonous excess with which the pampered are consuming the resources of the world? They are stripping it bare, without any thought for those who struggle to survive.
A BizRate Shopping Search tells me that a current best price for D-cell batteries is $7.99 for a two-pack of Energizer's Rechargeables. Do the math. If you need twelve batteries, that means 6 x $7.99, or $47. 94 total. If you took that money instead to Canadian Food for the Hungry International, or to The Samaritan's Purse, you could, for instance, buy a goat for a family in a third world country. You might have to use a little elbow grease to propel yourself around the pool, but while you're doing that, you'd be smiling the whole time, feeling good about the life-saving difference your thoughtfulness had made. Some people, I am sure, would dismiss me as a curmudgeon bent on spoiling innocent fun, but my sincere hope is for the ripple effect to result from this entry. If even just one reader were to see this and rethink a previous attitude or two, I would have accomplished something worthwhile.
2 Comments:
You got it right. This fits right into the excesses of North America. It's taking more and more just to sustain each individual.
Those who have, spend and those who don't, suffer.
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