Money & electronics

I was playing solitaire on my two year old ipod nano on the subway to pass the time, when I looked up and saw a depressed old man, holding his hands, staring into space, and suddenly realized how lucky I am to be able to purchase this gadget.  I guess this train of thought began when I was listening to the radio the other day, and it was a classical request program.  Everyone who called in sounded odd, a little uncomfortable with speaking, and I became very melancholic over this outdated medium.  “Who requests music on the radio anymore” I thought, “when you can just download any song.”  And of course, the answer is clearly, people who can’t afford a $600+ computer + $40/month for internet, but can afford a $10 radio. 

In Toronto, (and in any big North American city), the minimum cash needed just to survive month to month is actually quite high.  Rent, hydro, phone, food, toiletries (and we’re talking just basic, no frills stuff) will cost between $1000-$1200 a month, I estimate.  A $100 ipod shuffle, and the computer needed to put songs on it, is just out of the question on that budget.  So is most entertainment.  Adding a $50 cable bill to that budget can sink a person.  I just did a cursory search for welfare, old age pension and disability payments.  A single mother gets about $1,300/month, OAS is $500/month, and disability ranges – let’s say about $1000/month.  Most of us just throw out our old electronics like they’re junk.

Granted, most companies don’t make products that are easily recyclable.  And um, yeah, Apple products are among the worst.  I switched back to PC computers because I can reuse all components.