Let’s talk about a 16-year-old Australian girl who just finished her nautical loop around the globe. I’m inspired and here’s why.

This month we hear of thousands of fresh graduates, finishing their 4+ years in secondary education with paper diploma in hand and genuine surprise that they survived (literally.) Kudos, congrats and danke for your service.

Jessica Watson put some at unease when she announced last year that she’d be taking to the seas in a quest to circle the Earth at an age when most girls are obsessing over boys and shoes. Too young, they claimed. What if something awful happens? Should her parents be held responsible? And what about the psychological toll of such a long journey?

That’s what I’m most interested in. We’ve all felt like ships at sea, hermits in our apartments or cities. Maybe we hole ourselves away for an afternoon or even a day. But 210 days is unimaginable, a length of time that would be a prison sentence aboard a 34-foot yacht to most of us.

But what better way to discover who you are than in the solitary life of a ship’s captain! These are trials and thrills that we no longer allow, the ability to reason independently for hours on end and avoid the unimportant aspects of daily life. The boat keels over sideways into the frothing water during a storm; you hang on and ride it out. You lose sight of land for two months straight; you keep calm and carry on. This same attitude prevailed during our worst wars, depressions and hardships.

Now that she’s back home 23,000 miles later, this young woman deserves the accolades. All the sponsorships, nay-sayers and support her team provided shouldn’t detract from the experience and triumph. She had a plan, stuck with it and prevailed.

There’s been controversy, as in everything now; she may have missed capturing the world record for youngest around the globe after allegedly not sailing north enough of the equator (although she’s ineligible anyway due to new rules that require someone to be 18 or older.) But no matter, for Watson seems far more mature than her age belies:

“If I haven’t sailed around the world,” she said according to the Los Angeles Times, “I’m a bit lost as to what I’ve spent the last seven months doing.”

For more, see her blog.

I found this cassette tape at work. It was sitting on a counter in the photo department, along with a pile of VHS tapes touting various photographic themes. There’s a terrible liner included with a pleather photo album titled “Photograph Album” on the cover. It’s best to emphasize that this is a photo album of a photo album of a…

To be honest, I really intended to make fun of this relic. The design is garbage, the idea is rather lame, and I see no sign of Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome.” Was it too obvious? No matter, though, since this mix tape overcomes its bland appearance with great 20th century music. You know what they say about judging cassettes by their covers.

Strangely, this 1987 compilation was financed by the California Museum of Photography at the University of California, along with grant assistance from the National Endowment for the Arts. I assume that most of that money went straight into buying the rights to the songs.

Side A

Belle Baker, “If I Had a Talking Picture of You”
Sam Cooke, “Send Me Some Lovin'”
George Jones, “Developing My Pictures”
Elvis Costello, “This Year’s Girl”
Dominoes, “My Baby’s 3-D”
Fats Waller, “You Fit Into the Picture”
The Who, “Pictures of Lily”
Amanda Lear, “I Am a Photograph

Side B

Mighty Sparrow, “Castro Eating Banana”
Grit Laskin, “The Photographers”
Patsy Cline, “She’s Got You”
Plastics, “Copy”
Louis Armstrong, “Laughin’ Louie”
Del Reeves, “Girl on the Billboard”
Kay Starr, “Half a Photograph”
Kinks, “People Take Pictures of Each Other”

There’s one particular song I want to highlight from this list. I haven’t hunted around for a recording of it, but man, these lyrics… ahem. Double entendre city!

The Photographers
by Grit Laskin

Well early Saturday morning, I was strolling in the wood
I came upon a lady who by the wayside stood
And what, pray tell, would such a lass as you be doing here?
I’ve come to take some photographs, said she as I drew near

Said I to her, I do declare, this is a fateful day
For I have come to photograph, the same as you did say
Then I took out my Nikon-F and placed it in her hand
She said that’s quite a camera, sir, you have at your command

My camera so delighted her, she could no more delay
She let me see her camera case, wherein her accessories lay
I’m sure, she said, you have most everything that can be bought
Just let me stretch my tripod out before I take some shots

We photographed from haylofts, and up against the wall
If you’ve not shot on Saturday night, you’ve not photographed at all
She had her shutter open wide, for daylight was all gone
Likewise my naked camera lens, it had its filter on

This lady had experience with cameras, yes, indeed
And I thought her exposures the best I’d ever seen
Although she seemed to tire not as on and on we went
I said I’ll have to stop now, my film supply is spent

She said I’ve had Mirandas, Yashicas and Rolleis
Hasselblad and Pentax, likewise a Polaroid
Fujica, Canon, Nikkormat, a Kodak and the rest
But now I’ve seen your Nikon-F, and surely it’s the best

It’s not every day that you get to witness real, genuine fine art collaboration.

Late one night after shooting an episode of Two Men Becoming Friends, Warren and I stumbled upon the Nebraska State Fair Facebook page. On it was this newly revealed logo for 2010:

Obviously, this logo has a few issues. And several people made sure to point that out with their own Microsoft Paint creations. We had to get in on the action:

The very next day, all logo postings by fans were removed. Perhaps it was mere coincidence, but I believe our artwork hit a little too close to home. We’ll never know.

We just simply won’t make it to 50 degrees today. This is November. The kids with flipflops at the corner Starbucks should either be chastised for situational unawareness or praised for their optimistic spirit.

Oh come on, you know I hate those damn kids.