Oil prices continue reaching into record-high territory, but the consumer, so far, isn’t blinking. The sight of sharply rising energy costs and continued trips to Wal-Mart has surprised more than a few dismal scientists, and caused a few ripples here and there in terms of expectations for corporate earnings. But by and large, given the magnitude of oil’s rise, the American economy has remained largely unaffected by any notable degree. Can this strange dance of ascending consumer spending and energy prices continue? Perhaps, but not without ramifications.