The Electric Car

I just finished reading up on the new Nissan Leaf, which is expected to hit dealers later this year. After reading about the ability to only drive 100 miles on the tank, I cannot help but wonder if the $32,000 price tag is actually worth it. Granted, the US government has established a $7,500 rebate on the purchase of the car, but I cannot see the car being worth the extra expense. If you average about $1200 a year on gasoline, which is pretty common for a daily commute, you would have to drive an equivalent nissan versa (which is the base that the Leaf is designed around) for nearly 8 years. Mind you, that is 8 years that you would run the risk of having to purchase a new battery for the leaf and have to consider the fact that electricity, although cheap, is still going to cost you in order to power the car. I like the idea that nissan and other car companies have with producing all electric cars, but I do not believe we are at the point where these kinds of cars are economical, and everyone knows how important money is these days. I wish Nissan luck, but a car where you can only go 100 miles a day (which would prevent you from taking any road trips) just does not seem to fit in this economy.

The Movies

Sure, everyone loves to go to the movies and see their new "favorite" flick on the big screen. I cannot see any drawbacks of taking some time out to enjoy the best that the industry has to offer on a screen that can truly handle the special effects and sound. Well, that was until I got a look at the price on the ticket that I had to purchase to get into the theatre. Maybe its because I remember just 10 years ago saying that 6 dollars was high, but my 13 dollar ticket to see Avatar in 3D was approaching my breaking point. I had the pleasure of reading an article in USA today this past week and I have to say, I do not see the industry stopping at the price that i just paid. When I can now purchase the movie on DVD from a legitimate outlet - as opposed to just downloading the movie from the internet like I have heard of happening far too often this decade - for just 2 more dollars, I am having trouble rationalizing the pricing. I understand that the theatre has an awe about it with the surround sound and HD quality picture, but I would almost rather put up a few bucks for my own surround sound and just enjoy the movies on my own time. I think it is time the movie industry wakes up and realizes that people have a breaking point on movie pricing, and that constant price increases are keeping people from enjoying all of the theatrical greatness that is out there today.