I went to Montreal in a cheap car and all I got was this lousy poutine

Oil prices approach $114 and rice hits a record high. Two headlines from the BBC web site.

CBC National news had a story tonight about a family that will be cutting back on its vacation travel because of the high price of gasoline. The father said, rather wistfully, that they would have to confine themselves to short trips to Montreal. Additionally, the family has purchased a midsized sedan instead of an SUV.

At the same time, the price of rice, a food staple in much of the world, has reached a record high. Poor people in Asian countries will go hungry. SUV's and vacations are not among their aspirations.

North Americans will switch to ethanol. The price of rice and other grains will go up even more. Johnny will get to go to Disneyland. A child in Asia will die.

Technorati Tags: economy, food, oil, prices