Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Check out the Trees

Sonny has a bunch of tree pieces that are going up on Tiny Showcase tonight at 7:30 pm. Check them out!

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Sustainable futures and social connections

We know that knowledge and understanding can help preserve what might otherwise be lost - places & landmarks of historical significance, understanding the past so as not be condemned to repeat it, the advent of ecotourism, etc. Even stronger than knowledge are relationships, social connections.

I like the idea of Crop to Cup a company that brokers family-grown coffee, but also provides tools so that end users, the coffee drinkers, can connect online with the growers, roasters, etc. who are behind it. It's bound to increase their loyalty to the product and their willingness to pay...

Then the other night I was watching Jean-Michel Cousteau and there was a segment where Celine Cousteau visited Amazon Herb Co. Dedicated to "a positive sustainable future for the rainforest and its inhabitants", the company sells herbal products derived from traditional remedies found in the rainforest. What I love is that it is all maintained in a sustainable way. Where they grow the herbs is the rainforest - they have not discovered a product and obliterated everything else to produce items to sell en masse.

I need to find more companies like this to connect with... You know, all of those children's charities where they push for cents-a-day to feed, clothe, medicate, educate the poor of the world and fill their commercials with doe-eyed, sad-faced kids - often use the hook of the letters you'll receive from the kids reporting their progress. Make connecting around the world easier and positive change can result. Hmm need to ponder more.

On the more mundane side -
Book #6 - The Homecoming by Ray Bradbury, illustrated by Dave McKean. An entertaining short story I look forward to reading to future children (no immediate plans on that)

Book #7 - Convergence Culture: Where old and new media collide by Henry Jenkins. I enjoyed this. Jenkins provides a few great case studies of the implications of new media on how we tell stories as a society, how we learn, how we are entertained. Some I still need to digest. A great foundation for anyone interested in trans-media storytelling.

Happy Belated to Dan - though I did call the day of, while you were chowing down, and we'll be celebrating this summer, Roelle-style....