The profiteers have struck Squeezebox Touch $750

"Simple supply and demand."
that's what they said after katrina and sandy when they charged $10 for gas.

It's a question of morals. High end audio probably no different than any other retail category; lots of snake oil salesmen and profiteers as well as some really good guys. Just because it's legal doesn't make it right.

Edorr- You are correct, but I still think it's unethical. Knghifi- I sincerely hope that your 88 y.o. father never needs needs a medication that costs about $200/day to stay alive, which is not covered by either your private insurance (if you are lucky enough to have it) or big bad medicare. Unless that day occurs, you will never know the evils of an unrestrained "free market". BTW, I've never heard anyone who rails against a government mandate for health care complain about his or her parents being "forced" to buy medicare.

Interestingly, the foes of gov't intervention in the marketplace never seem to have a problem with the benefits that they themselves utilize (think interstate highway system, huge tax incentives for oil and natural gas production, etc). Maybe we should go back to the days when instead of big brother forcing you to pay taxes, you could buy a membership in the local private fire department. If not, they would protect your neighbor's house from embers, while watching yours burn to the ground. Ah, those were the good old days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And as far as FEMA goes, also interesting how the Representative who killed a chunk of the aid to the Northeast to repair damage from Sandy was from Louisiana, which got every penny they asked for to rebuild from Katrina. Sandy state (CT, NY, and NJ) residents paid $1.9 TRILLION dollars more in federal taxes from 1999 - 2009 than they received from " big gov't"; while the Gulf States received $645 BILLIOM more from "big gov't" than they paid in taxes. Maybe Lincoln was wrong, we should have let them secede! OK rant over, sorry to confuse you w the facts.

BTW,the figures on federal spending vs. taxes by state are from The Economist, a highly respected British (no American political bias) weekly, and can be accessed here.

Nwavesailer- Sorry if I was unclear. Medicare Part D (which is optional) only covers a very small part of the my Dad's medication expense; after about a month he goes into the "donut hole" and none of it is covered until he pays thousands out of pocket and then once he's out of the hole, it's covered (but again for only a percentage). It cost him thousands of dollars a year for this one medication alone.