In the last week, new Cuban President Raul Castro has legalized cell phone use for ordinary Cubans; granted Cubans access to previously off-limits tourist hotels; and legalized the sale within Cuba of microwaves, DVD players and personal computers. Cubans are welcoming the change, even if the costs are out of their reach.

...Cuba's government had previously forbidden the sale of consumer products under the argument that they consumed too much electricity.

...Most Cubans can't afford to rent cell phones, stay in hotels or buy any of the new products available to them. The average monthly salary is just under $20.

Those in the stores this week were primarily those with access to hard currency, either from relatives abroad or through jobs in the tourist industry.

Cuba has a two-tiered currency system; Cuban state workers are paid in the Cuban peso, but many products are only sold in the convertible peso, worth 24 times as much.

But hey, you know. Free medical care, right? And remember, Cuba's the only country that meets the WWF minimum criteria for sustainability!