Bits and Pieces

Well – today a few odds and ends. I thought it would be appropriate to update you on the travels of Jessica Watson. Jessica is the 16-year-old Australian girl attempting to become the youngest person ever to sail solo, nonstop and unassisted around the world. I have been following her daily blog since she left Sydney harbour on October 18th and on January 13th she rounded Cape Horn – a significant milestone. It is great to be able to follow her daily progress and challenges – one of the great uses of technology.
I think I am particularly interested in the adventure itself as much as the challenge (although, I suspect that 8 months alone at sea will present a unique set of challenges especially for someone so young).
I wrote recently about a company called Patagonia and in hindsight I feel that I did not really do justice to the company and it’s philosophies or how strongly I admire them. If you have not had a chance to visit the Patagonia web site it is worth a look. Of particular interest to me was the environmental section including the 1% For the Planet program and the “Footprint Chronicles” attached to some of their products.
Also of interest over the last few days has been the CNN and Twitter link. While (as I was recently told) I have yet to have the “aha” moment with Twitter, I have been interested in the CNN coverage of the Haiti earthquake disaster and how much information was being sent via Twitter in the early stages. A use I had not really seen or thought of.
Lastly, I tip my hat to Google and their stand against China.
I know that the politics are unique and that Google has tried to balance the censorship issue with revenue and profits being the obvious “carrot”. In the information world we live in, it is difficult to understand how China expects to live in, work, and supply the global economy while at the same time trying to keep its people in a vacuum. Perhaps, if Google stands firm on this issue, other companies will see the light and redirect energy and resources to other emerging markets. In this age, who will walk away from China’s potential profits in the name of principles?