Category: Uncategorized

Here’s more crazy GPS-toting fun: the Confluence Project, wherein you can try to visit each of the integer (ie. whole number) intersections of latitude and longitude in the world (ie. exactly 49 degrees N, 74 degrees W). There are about 11,500 to be found, not counting those in the water or near the poles. Get going!

I’ve been reading a lot and getting excited lately about several “offline” extensions of online communities.

1. Nervous Industries is a community site for facilitating real-life exchanges of art objects and other creative expressions. I’ve always loved “snail” mail and mail art and this site makes it possible to find interesting people all over the world with whom to connect. A great use of the web.
2. Geocaching is almost like a sportier version of a giant worldwide scavenger hunt. People hide “caches” (boxes of trinkets, postcards, stamps, etc.) and then give GPS coordinates on the Geocaching site directing people to their hidden treasure. Another great way to connect people and send us away from our screens for a while.

Reading about geocaching has me obsessed with getting a handheld GPS unit now. I’m travelling to a strange and large city this weekend and have never had a great sense of direction anyway, so I’d love to play with one of these gadgets. I’m especially enamoured of the Garmin eTrex units. Does anyone have any experience with these? Or better yet, does anyone know where I could borrow or rent one of these in San Francisco?

And now I’ve just read this post from Tim. Am I going to be a shining example of the “youthful savant”? Not bloody likely…

It’s a slight little thing, but here is my first piece of paid journalism. They sort of screwed up the layout, so you need to go to the main page for now to actually read the first paragraph (the “lead-in”).

Gems from the Diaries, Part 1: July 9, 1986: “Played golf Saturday, and was atrocious. Got 74! On a 9-hole course! At one point, I threw all my clubs out of the bag.” You know something? I don’t think I’ve played golf since then.