Capitalism

Ambitions

Often, I'm tempted by a desire for glamor. This strange need to own a grand, stately, and rather ridiculous home. Then we add a car with chauffer. Perhaps serving staff, or a private jet. At least flying first class (man, the notion of leg-room sounds grand). Yet, it sounds rather empty. When I read such pieces as this one, I am reminded of what I enjoy. The modest pleasures of friends, wine, art. These represent the best I see in life. Though I occasionally get tormented by the fact my life is rather free of grand luxuries, I take solace in the glories within my life. Lest I forget these blessings, I remind myself of those who have so little. These things I take for granted, that seem rather humble to me, actually are grand luxuries to so many who walk this earth with me. That fact humbles me the most.

A Lovely Day

Today was spent, for the most part, at the Pacific Science Center. Wandering around the halls that my cousin and I walked as kids was both nostalgic, and a bit disconcerting. Though I spent much time over the years there, it has been at least two decades since I've been inside the main exhibit space (though I've been to the Imax theatre several times). Very little remains of the space we explored. Ok, the walls are still in the same places, and the exterior is almost exactly the same. And the cafe is just as lame, and easy to ignore; and worthwhile, too. Still, there were things that triggered memories. Biking to light lights (the thing was rather rickety and felt like it was 30 years old). The Gemini capsule. A giant moon, though now hidden a bit inside an unrelated exhibit.

As a boy, youth, whatever you wish to call that age, I spent many hours wandering the facility. I first experienced Lazerium here. This was the first place I experienced large computer labs. So much of that is, rightly, gone; replaced by much more contemporary items (or at least by the less obsolete). One thing remains, though. The capturing of science and presenting it to young minds in exciting and dynamic ways. Thus it was, and remains, a treasure for Seattle. I, at least, am glad its here.

Great Photos

Clark Little is a surf photographer (not surfing, please note) with some phenomenal work. You can see more of his work here. Besides the great color effects, the texture and contours he captures are simply stunning. And, as you can see from his video, he earns each shot.

Sustainabile Shopping

One challenge of late, being the progressive I am, has been finding the right blend of cost and "quality". Quality is getting special emphasis here as I am adding to the generally understood usage. Besides adhering (or exceeding) our expectations for longevity, accomplishing the product's purpose, and such, I also add quality of life. Meaning, in more depth, impact upon the earth. This is more than just environmental concerns, but also those of social justice.

What makes this challenging is the huge array of metrics for "sustainability". There's Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, Organic, Utz Kapeh, Monterey Bay Seafood Watch, Forest Stewardship Council, USGBCs LEED, Song Bird Friendly, Slave-Free, etc (this is just what rattles off my head). Few people want to spend time considering their purchases, much less researching the different schemes, blah blah.

For me, I often shoot for the easy way. Shopping at such institutions as Whole Foods or PCC (a Seattle area co-op). Allowing me to rest assured that whatever I purchase, it will have been ethically sourced. Of course, Trader Joe's, long a staple in this sector, has been dinged with some issues surrounding fish. Thus, some use of the brain is still required. However, many businesses have been aware of how important trust is, and are working on maintaining that. (TJ's is part of that, from what I can see, and I'm sure they're working on addressing their issues around sourcing fish ->don't let me down TJ!). So, we should be alert and vigiliant, but probably don't need to be overwrought, either.

Palm and Apple: Comparing Relationships

Infoworld has a nice article about the differences between Apple and Palm's hacker communities. Palm was able to post a polite request to not hack tethering for the Pre...and they responded in the way Palm needed/wanted.

The writer opines that "Palm's hands-off approach may be a reaction to the frenzy and enthusiasm surrounding attempts to hack the original iPhone". Perhaps, though probably not. This writer is thinking, in typical style, much too short-term. Consider, instead, Palm's long history with the development community. In the pre-Pre, Treo days, Palm was good about letting anyone develop. And they did a good job in encouraging those relationships. It makes sense to me that this work, all those years ago, is now paying off in good-will.

This is a lesson that the business community needs to latch on to. Work on developing good relations NOW with your primary stakeholders. Then, when you need help, are challenged in some way, you have a bank of trust. When you only show "love" to a group when you want or need something, cynicism is the result (duh).

The Power Of The Net

I haven't followed the developments in Iran today as I've been laid out by a virus. However, this has given me some time to think about all this (with the benefit of a lack of lucidity). It's been clear to me for some time that the activist's role has changed. The speed at which they can communicate, and the variety of media that can be broadcast with comparatively little expense or effort is stunning...and heartening.

Another piece that must be considered: the commitment of many techies to liberty. One key thing I've seen this week is the rapid development of proxies for the Iranian's to circumvent government censorship. Other examples include Pirates Bay and the efforts to circumvent China's filtering.

A few thoughts from a sick-day. My thoughts today, though, reside with the Iranian protesters. The powers that be (the Butcher Of Tehran?) have made it clear that no moderation will be shown. Dissent will be rigorously expunged. My sincerest hope is that the glare of global will shall shame this psychopathic "President". A dream, I'm sure. Pray, though, pray.

Via BlackBerry