syousef
25-03-2010, 11:12 AM
Warning: Rant and bad physics parodies ahead.
Has anyone here worked out the physics of the price anomaly field surrounding Australia (and NZ)?
There is definitely some sort of field surrounding Australia. Anything coming into Australia by boat or plane magically increases in price by around 3 fold. Does it have something to do with Quantum Mechanics? Is h a much bigger number for dollars in Australia? (If you locate the product precisely in Aus the range of dollars you must pay becomes less precise and the range larger) Perhaps it's a peculiar form of Dark Energy associated with the money that repells the product away from you so that you must expend more money to close in on it and obtain it. Or maybe the field surrounding Australia has some kind of bizzare negative Lorentz anti-contraction associated with the price the closer you match Relativistic frames with the object. It certainly isn't just affecting Astronomy gear but the kind of product definitely has something to do with it. Photo gear only doubles in price. Astro gear triples. Does Astronomy gear contain a new form of Dark matter? Is there a giant gravity well that makes shipping a small box from the US cost over $100? There must be an equivalent Dark Energy field in Hong Kong since if I get things shipped from there it's usually very cheap or even free. (I wonder if I can manipulate the field so they can pay me when I have something shipped!?)
For example I read somewhere that the Celestron Skyscouts had come down in price to around the $200 mark. I've seen enough negative reviews to be wary of it but I don't know the sky as well as I'd like, and have decided to make a go of fixing that situation this year. So I'd be happy to part with $200 if there was some chance it would speed up learning the sky. Well that might be the price in the US, I've seen it online for USD250 but only shipping to the US. Some places seem to be out of stock, but not all.. The RRP is Here in Aus still appears to be AUD699! The cheapest I've seen it for at a shop is AUD449, which is still around 50% dearer. I've decided to stick to planetarium software.
Telescopes have come down a bit in the last 10 years at least due to Chinese and Korean manufacturers, but try getting a 12" truss Dob here for $900. Ain't gonna happen. Basic gear like binoculars is so hard to get I usually end up buying something second rate. None of my binocs are by major manufacturers (though a couple are surprisingly good). Are these companies TRYING to put people off? These tactics can't be increasing their product margins!
I know I'm suppose to be grateful to (potentially) have access to gear that would have made great scientists drool 400 years ago but I'm just plain frustrated by prices in Australia being so ridiculous.
End of rant.
Has anyone here worked out the physics of the price anomaly field surrounding Australia (and NZ)?
There is definitely some sort of field surrounding Australia. Anything coming into Australia by boat or plane magically increases in price by around 3 fold. Does it have something to do with Quantum Mechanics? Is h a much bigger number for dollars in Australia? (If you locate the product precisely in Aus the range of dollars you must pay becomes less precise and the range larger) Perhaps it's a peculiar form of Dark Energy associated with the money that repells the product away from you so that you must expend more money to close in on it and obtain it. Or maybe the field surrounding Australia has some kind of bizzare negative Lorentz anti-contraction associated with the price the closer you match Relativistic frames with the object. It certainly isn't just affecting Astronomy gear but the kind of product definitely has something to do with it. Photo gear only doubles in price. Astro gear triples. Does Astronomy gear contain a new form of Dark matter? Is there a giant gravity well that makes shipping a small box from the US cost over $100? There must be an equivalent Dark Energy field in Hong Kong since if I get things shipped from there it's usually very cheap or even free. (I wonder if I can manipulate the field so they can pay me when I have something shipped!?)
For example I read somewhere that the Celestron Skyscouts had come down in price to around the $200 mark. I've seen enough negative reviews to be wary of it but I don't know the sky as well as I'd like, and have decided to make a go of fixing that situation this year. So I'd be happy to part with $200 if there was some chance it would speed up learning the sky. Well that might be the price in the US, I've seen it online for USD250 but only shipping to the US. Some places seem to be out of stock, but not all.. The RRP is Here in Aus still appears to be AUD699! The cheapest I've seen it for at a shop is AUD449, which is still around 50% dearer. I've decided to stick to planetarium software.
Telescopes have come down a bit in the last 10 years at least due to Chinese and Korean manufacturers, but try getting a 12" truss Dob here for $900. Ain't gonna happen. Basic gear like binoculars is so hard to get I usually end up buying something second rate. None of my binocs are by major manufacturers (though a couple are surprisingly good). Are these companies TRYING to put people off? These tactics can't be increasing their product margins!
I know I'm suppose to be grateful to (potentially) have access to gear that would have made great scientists drool 400 years ago but I'm just plain frustrated by prices in Australia being so ridiculous.
End of rant.