December 2010
6 posts
The Naked Avarice of Spirit Airlines
I’m circulating a version of this narrative to various security minded folk around the Internet, as well as including it in letters to the TSA and Spirit Airlines. It’s archived here for posterity.
Spirit Airlines has gone institutionally crazy, and I fear it may be a sign of things to come. I’ve long believed that living in a constant state of fear, presided over by arbitrary...
Occasionally (okay, more than occasionally) The Daily Show gets it exactly right.
Kawah Ijen Sulfur Mines →
The Big Picture is always striking, one of the best blogs on the Internet, but this week’s is in top contention for my all-time favorite. These photos from the Indonesian sulfur mines in the crater of the Kawah Ijen volcano look like we stumbled into Mordor Where the Shadows Lie, and the evil blue flames are held back by mankind’s good clean fire.
Overheard at the Climbing Gym
“If I ever return to my farm, I’ve gotta make my woody just a little bit cooler.”
—8:55 PM EST, December 7, 2010
Understanding Pac-Man Ghost Behavior →
The AI behind Pac-Man’s ghosts. As I always suspected: unpredictable, diabolical behavior can arise from apparently straightforward motivations.
gameinternals:
The ghosts are always in one of three possible modes: Chase, Scatter, or Frightened. The “normal” mode with the ghosts pursuing Pac-Man is Chase, and this is the one that they spend most of their time in. While in Chase mode, all...