A Geekcorps Vacation
I work in international development, specifically in creating economic prosperity, using information and communication technologies. I spend my work days spreading the Internet, and to a lesser extent, cellular phones, far and wide.
The noble goal comes back to bite me on the ass every so often, usually when I am on vacation. As it’s my job to be online, to create accessibility, to expand the connectivity of the world’s people, I have no excuse to be offline. To get off-grid and be absolutely inaccessible for a day or a week.
Read MoreA Puerto Rican Christmas Gift
How was your Christmas morning? That orgy of American consumerism unparalleled by time or place else. Did you get all the presents you wanted? All the things?
I hope you were with friends and family, people who matter to you. Did you feel their warmth, their love? Could you find it in the stuff exchanged or in the moment shared?
For my family, we’ve slowly moved from the things to the people. From the stuff to the moment. Starting years ago, and slowly germinating over the many Christmases in between, we’ve now dropped the shop for the trip.
I have my Dad’s death to thank for this
Read MoreI’m in the Blogging Big Leagues Now!
Over the last year or so, an initiative has slowly formed to change education in the developing world. Based around the idea that children need to “learn learning” and computers are the best tool to do this, One Laptop Per Child has developed a cheap (in price, not technology or manufacture) laptop and proposes that developing world governments buy these computers for internal distribution.
So I started a website about it all, One Laptop Per Child News, with the main goals of staying educated on OLPC and to enter into the debate about its merits. OLPC News was also the next step in my blogging career, running my own collaborative blog, experimenting with different management and promotional techniques along the way.
Read MoreThe Curse of the Caribbean: Cars
Puerto Rico is a beautiful tropical island. A green paradise warmed by the sun and cooled by the sea. And yet this island of perfection has the same cancer, the same degradation of the Caymans: Cars.
Yes, in a place that should be governed by the speed of walking, which should be a car-free delight, is awash in a sea of automobiles. American, Japanese, German, Puerto Rican vehicles mimic the mainland USA in their style, size, and ubiquity.
And, unfortunately, in their pollution.
Read MoreWhy So Many Ambulances?
Ambulances. I see ambulances. Here, there, everywhere, ambulances. And not on calls, rushing to give aid. No, just driving down the road, waiting patiently in traffic.
No one gives them mind. No one notices, thinks them out of place, even when they sit there, in traffic with their lights on. Ambulances.
Could there be that many emergencies? That man people in need of quick medical transport? I don’t think so, not on this island of only 3 million people.
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