I Don't Get It

I'm not the sharpest tack in the box...but there are a few things that I just don't understand.

Volatility of Gas Prices
Gasoline is likely the largest consumable product on Earth. The supply chain has got to be huge. And the supply chain must be pretty solid. I've never stopped at a gas station to find that they've run out. Obviously the supply of gasoline is solid enough to daily meet such a huge global demand.

So how can such a solid, huge, consistent supply channel be so volatile?

We're told that the supply is volatile. The prices jump around as if the supply may run out at any moment. This morning in the news it was reported that gas prices were going up over fears of a cold winter.

Hmmmmmm. To me that sounds like someone trying to tell me that milk prices are going up because of fears of grumpy cows.

Anyone else have the feeling we're just being toyed with?

11,245 News Outlets, One Story
It amazes me that no matter where I turn for my news, it's the same news, in every newspaper, magazine, tv channel, radio, internet.

Our great "Democracy" with its privilege of free speech somehow has been converted to a nation of one voice.

If one of the major media outlets decides to run a story about a gal who got a lizard stuck in her nose...then that story is picked up by everyone else.

Our potential diversity of thoughts and ideas and expressions has been consolidated down to a single voice and I just don't get it.

Super Sensitive Stock Market
One thing that I really don't get is our super sensitive stock market. It amazes me that the market seems to so often shift as a whole, when there is such a diversity of interests.

And the market shifts on a whim - a report that pork belly supplies are down and next thing you know technology stocks are plunging. It's like we have a few gypsys looking into crystal balls and based on what they see the whole market changes.

If a company is doing well, it's doing well. The effect of the overall climate should have an effect, but not dominate an individual companies' value. But it does.

I don't get it.

Scratching Head
Like I said, I'm not the sharpest tack in the box. But I do think that all of these things have one thing in common - consolidation. For business purposes diverse entities are consolidated into a few giant entities. Once the diversity is lost the giant entities can easily manipulate the environment in the sole interest of the greatest profit.

Well just put a little extra money aside, I've heard that a recent decline in hot dog sales is going to increase oil prices and cause the stock market to decline. I just saw the same forecast on every single news channel.