In lieu of actual content, a few random bits and pieces from around the web that I've found interesting.

Non-Euclidean Hotels

From Neil Gaiman's blog, discussing a hotel that he previously described as "the geography of which I cannot grasp":

I am used to sensible, Euclidean spaces, in which if you go through enough 90 degree angles you wind up where you started. Try that here and see where it gets you. [...] From the outside it seems almost normal. Then the corridors begin..

How Long Is A (First) Moonwalk?

Until today, I had no idea just how little area Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin covered whilst on the moon. Basically, the size of a football (soccer football) pitch. In fact, the size of one half of a football pitch with a brief excursion down to the opposing team's goal area on one walk by Armstrong.

For those who can summon a mental image of a baseball diamond more easily, there's also a map overlaying the moonwalk on that (linked from the above). They covered most of the infield, stayed out of the way of any base runners and Armstrong made a quick dash to the back fence for a sample.

By the way, if you're not reading Strange Maps at least semi-regularly, you're missing out on a real education.

Untangled

Roy Fielding started blogging about a month ago. Somehow I missed this. Web application writers can thank him for the mind twisting subtleties of RESTful architectural design. From recent posts, it looks like his blog is going to be only slightly easier reading than his PhD thesis, although at least he's including examples now. Seriously, this will be invaluable stuff to read for the things I like to think about.

GET LAMP

Jason Scott writes an interesting blog about documentary making, computer history and general "stuff". I want to write more about some of his stuff in the future. This time, though, it's just to mention that the documentary he's been working on, GET LAMP, now has a trailer out. If you are somebody from about my generation who went through a period of being addicted to Zork and similar text adventures on computers, this looks like a worthwhile investment when it is finished.

Topics: random

[#]