Prior to 9/11 you could not take a knife on board an airplane that had a blade that was longer than three inches.
Then, for a while, NO knives were allowed.
NOW, you can take a knife that has a blade that is shorter than FOUR inches!
Does this make ANY sense?!
The 9/11 hijackers used retractable-blade box-cutters whose breakaway blades could be considered as being under TWO inches long under current TSA regulations!
I'm calling SHENNANIGANS!! Everyone go home and get your brooms (subtle South Park reference for those not in the loop)!
use Trial By Combat... Two Priests Enter (the Knights Templar had all taken Holy Orders, after all), One Priest Leaves! It would settle the matter in a manner appropriate to the standing of the suit - which would be plate armor and greatswords...
I cut off AT&T a long time ago... after they tried to charge me $2 per call for "line forwarding" when I moved my business less than 15 miles, staying in the same area code and in the same city and tried to justify their charges as being "long distance call forwarding."
And the charges would apply whether I answered the phone or not because "the action of forwarding the call to your new office counts as a call pickup and is billed as such," according to several AT&T representatives that I dealt with during that particular round of telephonic rootcanal surgery without anesthesia.
came out of a bottle... of bottled-in-bond, 150 proof bootleg booze... and once out of the bottle, putting it back IN the bottle is a bit more difficult, unless the bottle is made by a guy named Klein...
If that's what they're shooting for, then I have a name for the system:
Cry Wolf!
Because, that's all it's really going to do!
Heaven help any street performer that gets caught by this video frankenstein's monster, because the cops will, in some jurisdictions, come in blasting away and a mime is a terrible thing to waste!
There are too many Intellectual Property attorneys out there that would be put out of business by such a ruling.
Of course, the whole concept OF "intellectual property" actually IS something of an oxymoron, when one considers the actual meaning of the term... property that exists only intellectually... and not on the physical plane...
It will be interesting to see how the COURTS rule on this, as opposed to the Patent Office. It's the courts that will have the final say, anyway... not the Patent Office...
If the prices adjusted downwards, that 35% group of price-objectors would vanish, leaving only 33% of the total who still have dial-up only either being stuck with it or being Luddites who refuse to switch over.
Once the 19% of those who can't get broadband CAN get it, how many of them would switch? The assumption is all of them would, because otherwise, they would be in the "would not switch" category.
That leaves only the 14% who still use dial telephones and who drive Packards - and I do NOT mean Packard Bells!
I'm still waiting for SSI's "For Whom the Belle Trolls," a CRPG crossover between Dungeons & Dragons and Gettysburg... in which the South CAN rise again - IF the Cleric has sufficient Mana to power that Mass Resurrection spell!
The BIG problems with biometrics that rely on external facial features along with such things as facial bone structures is that they CAN be foxed rather easily by a good makeup artist as well as by plastic surgery.
Scars can be added - and removed - both by clever applications of makeup and/or plastic surgery. The set of a person's eyebrow ridge can similarly e altered (for the purpose of fooling scans) using either technology as well. So can the set of one's cheekbones, jawline or even the confirmation of the ears (another unique body feature, like the fingerprint).
Once again, the government goes down a path that is easily mucked up and that will produce highly questionable results.
Thanks again, Washington, for spending more of our money on eye scanners and less on things like flood control programs, bridge inspection teams and systems to keep our ports safe from maniacs who just might try to blow one of them higher than up!
garbage to hang on a GI that will distract him, or her, visually, at critical moments and which will run out of battery power at the worst possible times as well.
Remember Heinlein's comment about combat gear - it has to be easy enough for a grunt to use so that someone equipped with something simpler, like, say a rock, who then comes up from behind the soldier using the hardware and bashes his brains in while he's trying to read a vernier.
Once again, the Bush Administration's leaders of the Crack Security Troops manning the perimeter have shown their complete inability to deal with a threat and to do it in a way that is most intrusive and disruptive to US air travel!
Any moron carrying a moiety of his or her marbles would have an ID on them if they wanted to board an aircraft, most especially if they wanted to do something Bad.
And the moron who did NOT have such an ID would most certainly attempt the old "my dog ate my ID" routine! Given the quality of the security protocols (not the people using them, who are, often, just trying to do a job under a very screwed up set of regulations with very little training and leadership that would drive St. Jude to violence) that are in place, the would-be do-badder would get his or her pat-down search, be left with his or her FOUR INCH KNIFE (now allowed under the "net and improved" rules!) and would board the aircraft with Intent To Commit Mayhem!
But the guy who says, "Screw you! This is the Land of the Free, Home of the Brave and I am a Medal of Honor winner and I will NOT show you jack because I fought and bled and my buddies DIED for the right NOT to 'haff to show your paperss' you (*^#*@!s!" gets refused and hauled off to Gitmo.
What's RIGHT with THAT scenario?
Especially when the Bad Guy with the fake (or even the REAL) ID gets to waltz on to the plane, ARMED with a KNIFE?!
"It will be nice to never hear anything from him again."
My response:
DREAMER!
This guy is worse than Google Group's newsloon Ray Gordon - he keeps coming back - but at least old Gordo doesn't have a law degree (as the judges in HIS cases keep pointing out!
NOPE! Not on emergency call ups, they can't. Ask anyone in Explosive Ordinance Disposal work (bomb squad), military rapid response teams, or who are in ANY emergency response program - you get paged or called, you saddle up and you GO! you drop EVERYTHING and roll because someone's LIFE, or LIVES are on the line.
Now, some petty dictators in an AMUSEMENT PARK want to say to these people - "You can't be notified while you are here because it upsets our other guests?!"
Again, a PHYSICIAN or other EMERGENCY SERVICE STAFFER who is ON CALL should be not only able to keep their system, but should be able to USE it if NECESSARY!
What part of 'emergency response requirement' are you having trouble with?
Also, what part of "personal property" are you having trouble with?
What next - strip searches? because that's where this is headed.
Orwell was wrong - Big Brother isn't coming, but a bunch of corporations and petty tyrants running facilities ARE!
The other one, I've been reminded was the old D&D scenario pack G-4.
But, in general, playing defense is NOT what rp games focus on at all.
In fact, if a small group of adventurers actually ran into a well-coordinated defense, using magic and mundane defenses in an organized manner, they would wind up getting carved into chutney in almost every case because most adventuring "groups" aren't groups at all, but a collection of individuals who have NO idea about group tactics other than "put the shields and heavily armored characters in front and the missile and magic users in the middle, punt the door and kill everything" sort of way.
Most of them don't have a clue how to really coordinate spells, thrown weapons and magic.
The SF channel puts the players in their new Fantasy MMO into a DEFENSIVE situation and the players go even more completely clueless than usual because NO RPG they have EVER played has forced them to DEFEND ANYTHING against ANYTHING!
The player's minds melt down and are served as soup for at the next DragonCon - which is held by and for REAL dragons in the game!
"Special wardens will confiscate such devices" as a possible outcome.
How will those who are doctors, law enforcement officials and such who are on call or other emergency personnel be able to remain in touch with their call-in stations then and who are required to carry such devices (and may even be issued them as part of their standard equipment)?
And isn't that called "theft?" Or, at least violation of personal property under UK law?
While I appreciate the idea of not having to be interrupted at every turn by some idiot either playing a video game or answering a mindless "WHASSUP?!" call in the middle of a show, there should be some better way to do this.
And what happens when someone loses their claim ticket or, worse, the park loses their smart device? The cost to the park will be far in excess of the "social savings" this ban might give them.
From this side of the pond, it's just another sign that every petty administrator, everywhere, wants to control a little slice of the lives that come into their sphere of influence.
They are going to have a LOT of very angry people to contend with when they try this because, more and more, smart devices are becoming the norm, rather than the exception. What a wonderful way to turn the happiest place on earth into a focus for seething animosity!
Slashdot Mirror
Prior to 9/11 you could not take a knife on board an airplane that had a blade that was longer than three inches.
Then, for a while, NO knives were allowed.
NOW, you can take a knife that has a blade that is shorter than FOUR inches!
Does this make ANY sense?!
The 9/11 hijackers used retractable-blade box-cutters whose breakaway blades could be considered as being under TWO inches long under current TSA regulations!
I'm calling SHENNANIGANS!! Everyone go home and get your brooms (subtle South Park reference for those not in the loop)!
use Trial By Combat... Two Priests Enter (the Knights Templar had all taken Holy Orders, after all), One Priest Leaves! It would settle the matter in a manner appropriate to the standing of the suit - which would be plate armor and greatswords...
I cut off AT&T a long time ago... after they tried to charge me $2 per call for "line forwarding" when I moved my business less than 15 miles, staying in the same area code and in the same city and tried to justify their charges as being "long distance call forwarding."
And the charges would apply whether I answered the phone or not because "the action of forwarding the call to your new office counts as a call pickup and is billed as such," according to several AT&T representatives that I dealt with during that particular round of telephonic rootcanal surgery without anesthesia.
came out of a bottle... of bottled-in-bond, 150 proof bootleg booze... and once out of the bottle, putting it back IN the bottle is a bit more difficult, unless the bottle is made by a guy named Klein...
If that's what they're shooting for, then I have a name for the system:
Cry Wolf!
Because, that's all it's really going to do!
Heaven help any street performer that gets caught by this video frankenstein's monster, because the cops will, in some jurisdictions, come in blasting away and a mime is a terrible thing to waste!
his very own invention...!
There are too many Intellectual Property attorneys out there that would be put out of business by such a ruling.
Of course, the whole concept OF "intellectual property" actually IS something of an oxymoron, when one considers the actual meaning of the term... property that exists only intellectually... and not on the physical plane...
It will be interesting to see how the COURTS rule on this, as opposed to the Patent Office. It's the courts that will have the final say, anyway... not the Patent Office...
19% can't get broadband.
35% say the price is too high.
14% say they would not switch, regardless.
If the prices adjusted downwards, that 35% group of price-objectors would vanish, leaving only 33% of the total who still have dial-up only either being stuck with it or being Luddites who refuse to switch over.
Once the 19% of those who can't get broadband CAN get it, how many of them would switch? The assumption is all of them would, because otherwise, they would be in the "would not switch" category.
That leaves only the 14% who still use dial telephones and who drive Packards - and I do NOT mean Packard Bells!
It's an artifact, alright - it's the dreaded +2 Atom of Confusion!
Is that another TROLLOCK joke?!
I'm still waiting for SSI's "For Whom the Belle Trolls," a CRPG crossover between Dungeons & Dragons and Gettysburg... in which the South CAN rise again - IF the Cleric has sufficient Mana to power that Mass Resurrection spell!
That's because ICQ has been read it's Miranda Rights!
Simple Simon actually met a Riemann, after all?!
I thought that was just a hypothesis!
Look Into the Laser With Your REMAINING Eye.
The BIG problems with biometrics that rely on external facial features along with such things as facial bone structures is that they CAN be foxed rather easily by a good makeup artist as well as by plastic surgery.
Scars can be added - and removed - both by clever applications of makeup and/or plastic surgery. The set of a person's eyebrow ridge can similarly e altered (for the purpose of fooling scans) using either technology as well. So can the set of one's cheekbones, jawline or even the confirmation of the ears (another unique body feature, like the fingerprint).
Once again, the government goes down a path that is easily mucked up and that will produce highly questionable results.
Thanks again, Washington, for spending more of our money on eye scanners and less on things like flood control programs, bridge inspection teams and systems to keep our ports safe from maniacs who just might try to blow one of them higher than up!
America's Got Talent.
He does the BEST "Harlan Ellison, ranting" impersonation that I have EVER seen!
He would win, for sure!
garbage to hang on a GI that will distract him, or her, visually, at critical moments and which will run out of battery power at the worst possible times as well.
Remember Heinlein's comment about combat gear - it has to be easy enough for a grunt to use so that someone equipped with something simpler, like, say a rock, who then comes up from behind the soldier using the hardware and bashes his brains in while he's trying to read a vernier.
Once again, the Bush Administration's leaders of the Crack Security Troops manning the perimeter have shown their complete inability to deal with a threat and to do it in a way that is most intrusive and disruptive to US air travel!
Any moron carrying a moiety of his or her marbles would have an ID on them if they wanted to board an aircraft, most especially if they wanted to do something Bad.
And the moron who did NOT have such an ID would most certainly attempt the old "my dog ate my ID" routine! Given the quality of the security protocols (not the people using them, who are, often, just trying to do a job under a very screwed up set of regulations with very little training and leadership that would drive St. Jude to violence) that are in place, the would-be do-badder would get his or her pat-down search, be left with his or her FOUR INCH KNIFE (now allowed under the "net and improved" rules!) and would board the aircraft with Intent To Commit Mayhem!
But the guy who says, "Screw you! This is the Land of the Free, Home of the Brave and I am a Medal of Honor winner and I will NOT show you jack because I fought and bled and my buddies DIED for the right NOT to 'haff to show your paperss' you (*^#*@!s!" gets refused and hauled off to Gitmo.
What's RIGHT with THAT scenario?
Especially when the Bad Guy with the fake (or even the REAL) ID gets to waltz on to the plane, ARMED with a KNIFE?!
TSA - Totally Senseless Administration.
"For D&D 3.5 there are feats and classes that are focused around group tactics. Example: getting shield bonuses for having multiple men in formations.
"But, like you brought up, those are rarely played because those feats and classes only work well if the group actually fights with group tactics"
The Prosecution rests...
LOL!
lymi posted:
"It will be nice to never hear anything from him again."
My response:
DREAMER!
This guy is worse than Google Group's newsloon Ray Gordon - he keeps coming back - but at least old Gordo doesn't have a law degree (as the judges in HIS cases keep pointing out!
NOPE! Not on emergency call ups, they can't. Ask anyone in Explosive Ordinance Disposal work (bomb squad), military rapid response teams, or who are in ANY emergency response program - you get paged or called, you saddle up and you GO! you drop EVERYTHING and roll because someone's LIFE, or LIVES are on the line.
Now, some petty dictators in an AMUSEMENT PARK want to say to these people - "You can't be notified while you are here because it upsets our other guests?!"
What a load of bull!
Again, a PHYSICIAN or other EMERGENCY SERVICE STAFFER who is ON CALL should be not only able to keep their system, but should be able to USE it if NECESSARY!
What part of 'emergency response requirement' are you having trouble with?
Also, what part of "personal property" are you having trouble with?
What next - strip searches? because that's where this is headed.
Orwell was wrong - Big Brother isn't coming, but a bunch of corporations and petty tyrants running facilities ARE!
The other one, I've been reminded was the old D&D scenario pack G-4.
But, in general, playing defense is NOT what rp games focus on at all.
In fact, if a small group of adventurers actually ran into a well-coordinated defense, using magic and mundane defenses in an organized manner, they would wind up getting carved into chutney in almost every case because most adventuring "groups" aren't groups at all, but a collection of individuals who have NO idea about group tactics other than "put the shields and heavily armored characters in front and the missile and magic users in the middle, punt the door and kill everything" sort of way.
Most of them don't have a clue how to really coordinate spells, thrown weapons and magic.
either:
Kreskin
Derren Brown
Chriss Angel
Dunninger
Max Maven
The SF channel puts the players in their new Fantasy MMO into a DEFENSIVE situation and the players go even more completely clueless than usual because NO RPG they have EVER played has forced them to DEFEND ANYTHING against ANYTHING!
The player's minds melt down and are served as soup for at the next DragonCon - which is held by and for REAL dragons in the game!
In other words, the generic IQ test is meaningless.
;)
Thanks for clearing that up for those caught in a Mencia Loop.
"Special wardens will confiscate such devices" as a possible outcome.
How will those who are doctors, law enforcement officials and such who are on call or other emergency personnel be able to remain in touch with their call-in stations then and who are required to carry such devices (and may even be issued them as part of their standard equipment)?
And isn't that called "theft?" Or, at least violation of personal property under UK law?
While I appreciate the idea of not having to be interrupted at every turn by some idiot either playing a video game or answering a mindless "WHASSUP?!" call in the middle of a show, there should be some better way to do this.
And what happens when someone loses their claim ticket or, worse, the park loses their smart device? The cost to the park will be far in excess of the "social savings" this ban might give them.
From this side of the pond, it's just another sign that every petty administrator, everywhere, wants to control a little slice of the lives that come into their sphere of influence.
They are going to have a LOT of very angry people to contend with when they try this because, more and more, smart devices are becoming the norm, rather than the exception. What a wonderful way to turn the happiest place on earth into a focus for seething animosity!
Well done, park officious officials!