Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Follow the globe-trotting box

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/business/2008/the_box/default.stm

The Beeb has sent a cargo/shipping box along its merry way (with a smashing paint job and a GPS) to see the effects of globalization. The load it carried to the first port of call in Shanghai? Whisky.

Tally-ho...

6 comments:

Dennis L Hitzeman said...

That reminds me vaguely of William Gibson's latest book Spook Country with a slightly more interesting plot...

Eternal Apprentice said...

This is a cool idea, I'm intrigued.

Not to veer too far from the point, but I haven't read that book yet and I'm a big Bill Gibson fan, so how is it? You don't sound too enthused from here...

Eternal Apprentice said...

That bit on the page about strange uses of containers. Since Seattle's a major port city, we have more than our fair share around here. My father in law (and a lot of neighbors) use them as storage sheds out in the back forty.

They're watertight and durable and when you put one someplace, they tend to stay put even in the hurricane-force winds we sometimes get around here. Kinda' narrow and dark if you don't wire them for lights, though, so if you pack 'em too tightly, it's easy to lose something without actually losing it...

Dennis L Hitzeman said...

I've read a bit of Gibson, and Spook Country seems a bit disjointed to me. His basic plot is sound, but the sub plots left me thinking "what?" I'll be interested in your take.

Eternal Apprentice said...

You know, it occurs to me that if a few more globalization and national security stories could be tied to a giant cargo container full of scotch... the matter would probably get more notice.

I'm just sayin'.

Dennis L Hitzeman said...

I tend to agree.