Security Theater in NYC

So I was stopped for a bag check in the subway again (second time in 5 years, so it’s not exactly common). And it really is a farce. They ask you to open the main pocket of the bag and then they look in. That’s all. It only takes maybe 15 seconds which is nice. But really!! Do they actually think they will ever see anything?!

If someone really wanted to get something illegal (or, say, something explosive) on to the subway all they would need to do is put legitimate stuff on top of it in there bag (Like a text book). They don’t really check anything. Interestingly, they don’t even touch your bag. They ask you to open it for them. It an obvious case of “Security Theater”.

That being said I’m kinda glad really. I didn’t really feel like my privacy was invaded and if it makes other people feel safer in the subway maybe it’s a good thing (Other people have talked about his). Though it is a system ripe for abuse. It would be very easy for cops to start doing real checks but only on people who have been profiled to be “dangerous” (say young black men and middle-easter looking folks). And that would be a really big problem and really despicable. I have heard people say this is already happening to some extent and I don’t doubt it, but I have not seen it my self and I’ve been to lazy to do any research.

Galactic Arms Race Part 2

So I said I’d post about this again. So here is a quick post.

I don’t really like the game. It’s not all that well balanced and certain manuvars that are critical to being able to effectively play the game (circle strafing) are really hard for me (think they are hard in general, but I’ve never been very good at that kind of thing, so I’m not sure).

My evaluation would be that it is a neat tech demo and I hope the idea of automatic content generation catches on. However it’s not all the good as a game.

I’m done with it and I’ve gone back to playing Fallout 3. I’ve finished the main campaign in Fallout 3 BTW, but there is still so much exploring to do. Also I’ve decided that I’m not going to use energy weapons with this character. Instead I’m gonna start a new character at some point that instead of focusing on Sneak and Small Guns will focus on Speech and Energy Weapons. Should be fun.

Riverside Park, Manhattan, NY

I went on a little bike ride in Riverside Park. I saw some things I find interesting.

• There was a group of people lined up as if to have there picture taken. Behind them was the ugliest piece of road and cement retaining wall I have ever seen. They could have walked 100 yards and stood in front of trees instead for the picture. Maybe it’s a city thing.
• There were several of kids with motorized scooters and bikes. Why?! The kids have plenty of energy for peddling.

Why I didn’t get a Kindle

People often mistake my Sony Reader 700 for a Amazon Kindle, and at that point I feel obliged to explain why I didn’t get the Kindle (which costs the same and has the EVDO link and such like). I usually site freedom. As much as I usually hate Sony (and their rootkits), the Reader is actually fairly flexible. When you plug it into a computer it shows up an external harddisk and you can put whatever files you like on it. It will read/play any files that are in a format in understands.

The Kindle however is really designed to only accept content from Amazon and the EVDO link to Amazon is actually a liability because it allows Amazon to control it remotely without your consent. So they could to things like removing or editing books you have put on the device. People I’ve said this to have been doubtful. One at least said, “Why would they ever do that?”. I didn’t have a specific answer. But now it’s a moot point because not only can they do it but they have done it.

Amazon removed copies of 2 book from Kindle remotely without OKing it with the owner who presumably assumed they had bought the content (Amazon was nice enough to refund the price of the book though). However these were not just any books. As if they needed to make the threat of this type of capability more obvious they removed Orwell’s dystopian novels “1984” and “Animal Farm”.

It should be pointed out that this was not fully Amazon’s fault. The ebooks in question where actually sold illegally by a company that did not have rights to do so. However I feel strongely that this is not an excuse for removing purchased content. People bought it. They have it now. You screwed up by selling it to them.

And independent of all, this it is now clear that they have the capability to do this sort of disappearing act. So I am happy I am not connected to their network. And I feel a bit vindicated.

Fallout will force me to learn russian

So I know I’m geeky, but these people have out done me in all the coolest ways possible: Fall Out for Real (A Fallout LARP being run in russia)

The costumes and locations are truely amazing and beautiful. I want to go to russia and meet these people. They are awesome. And they are talented. It’s not easy to make costumes like that.

I was thinking about how they do the all important gigercounter in the game (even if they are not playing in a highly irradiated area of the game world it’s still really important for the feel of the environment). I wonder if they have a “gigercounter” they starts clicking when they are in range of a radio transmitter. They way the DMs could layout radiation by placing transmitter. The exposure could even increase as they get closer to the transmitter because the radio signal would get stronger. And the counter could keep track of exposure for in game rad sickness mechanics.

Also they must have moded laser tag guns and air soft guns (or maybe paint ball) because throwing or shoot bean bags (like they do in most fantasy LARPs) would not work very well for gun and energy weapons.

Galactic Arms Race

I found a game I’m really gonna have to try: Galactic Arms Race (GAR)

It looks super cool. I hope it’s actually playable. I remember playing a game like this maybe 10 years ago. Simple space fighting, small squads and the like. What really excites me about this game is the huge variety of weapons. And that the weapons environment of the game will change based on the taste of the players. That’s just cool.

My only really nit pick is that it is not open-source. Seems like it should be. It is a research project and making it open would allow it to have a life after the research is deemed complete. I guess I do have one other nit pick: Why pick a MS Windows only engine?! But I understand the choice. I’ve heard XNA is a really good platform for simple games.

I’ll post again once I’ve had a chance to play it some and tell you how it is.

I wonder if this will help me kick my Fallout 3 habit. ;-)

10 days in Kansas

I am drawing to the end of 10 days in Lawrence, KS, my home town. I’m sad to be leaving. I love it here. That being said it will be nice to be back in NYC with the places and people I know there. I’m in a odd place of being home sick for both my homes at once.

I’ve had fun here though. I got a chance to set off my own fireworks for the first time in 5 years. That was really nice. I bought $80 worth of fireworks (mostly shells) and it was totally worth it. It was a lot of fun to have 34 good quality shells.

I went with some freinds to a big fireworks party outside of Lawrence (in Vinland) there were huge amounts of people so I had a place to legally setoff all my fireworks. And I mostly just hung out with the people I brought with me but it was a blast (no pun intended).

Tomorrow night I will be back in the big city. And it will be a relief and I will immediatly miss Lawrence. Lawrence really is my home a deep and real way. I kind of think it always will be.