Hello Everyone,
Today there are a couple things on my mind....consumer theory and ice chips. Not neccessarily together mind you, but aside from the live BNL cut of 'Brian Wilson' that is what's in my head. Well, that and the five run lead the Rockies hold over the Yankees in 8th.....
First up, ice chips. If any of you have read Christina's last post, you'll know that we have started birth class at the hospital. So far, its been pretty good. Our instructor is a nurse who works in the birth center. Most of our last class was taken up by a tour of the birth center. Some of my observations are a bit different from Christina's comments. So here are what I consider good tips from the tour:
1) I am allowed, as a labor coach, to fetch water and ice chips for Christina. Some hospitals will not allow you to do this by yourself. Why this is the case, I'll never know, in any case I know where the ice chip machine is, and I know how to use it.
1a) Across from the ice chip machine is coffee or espresso for coachs, in case you show up at 3 AM.
2) The birth center is a lot warmer of an environment than I expected. I guess I was imagining something a bit more clinical; the warmth works for me.
3) As a labor coach I get one complimentary meal.
4) The waiting area for family is actually nice. Final count, 2 vending machines, 3 couchs, 4 chairs, 1 TV, elevator access, and one electronically controled glass door that keeps babies inside, unauthorized persons outside.
5) There are 2 electrical plugs in the recovery room for us to use during our stay.
6) The hospital has free Wi-Fi.
7) Thus from 6&7, I could bring my laptop to the birth center, with my camera, and publish from the recovery room. Isn't technology grand? Not sure if I'll have time, or enough arms to bring the computer the point is that its possible.
8) Hospital Ground Rule: Pregnant women in labor get complete control of the TV remote in the delivery room.
Enough Hospital tips for now. I'm sure I'll have more fun things later on.
The Rockies have now beaten the Yankees for the 2nd straight night!!!!
Next up...Consumer theory. I have been reading, at Aunt Patsy's suggestion ( and by proxy, Dan's suggestion) The Affluent Society by John Kenneth Galbraith. A very thought provoking book on the history of economic thought, theory and maybe where as a society we're wrong.
I am about halfway through the text and have begun to question one of the main tenets of consumer theory. So, in brief, and on a microeconomic scale, here are the three assumptions that hold up all of consumer theory:
a) Consumers are insatiable (more is always strictly preferred to less)
b) Consumers preferences are complete (ie preferences are ranked)
c) Preferences are transitive. (ie, if A>B, and B>C, it follows that A>C)
Also, not a formal assumption, but an important side note, this discussion centers on economic goods, not bads.
Which brings me to the general question I'd like you all to try and answer. Are we really insatiable? Consider carefully before answering, its a bit of a tricky question which has tied my brain in knots. Also, try and consider specific goods (too many iPods?) and the general case (More stuff is better who cares what it is).
21 Months
10 years ago
2 comments:
Hmmm... interesting question. I think that, as a society, we are not satiable. We will always want the faster, more roomy version with all the extras. Even those of us who are fairly frugal can be lured into such an appetite. An example, a friend considering a new musical instrument wants to try a $5000 model, but the store hasn't got one so they let her try the $7000 model. Now, she is considering taking out a loan for the more expensive one because it is higher quality, even though it may be more than she actually needs.
I suppose on a different note a market for an item may become void. Like, we don't buy 8tracks anymore, but usually those markets are replaced with other things, like mp3s.
Is this complete? Am I missing anything?
If it weren't for our insatiable desires, what would the advertising world do with their time? All one has to do is watch the new I-Phone ads to see how they tantalize us....
For me, it's all about Titanium!
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