Entries by tag: defcon
Time for part II of my defcon adventure writeup. Yesterday I mostly went on about sessions, so today I'll talk about the things hackers at defcon do when they're not sitting listening to people talk.
Well, some of the non-sessions were sort of like sessions. I hung out in the lockpicking village for several hours. It's this room upstairs with tables stocked with various combination and bike locks so you can test your skills. I was fortunate enough to win a lock-picking kit from this guy at the hackers for charity booth before the conference even started! I won it on twitter, ran into him at the syngress tweetup thursday night, and got to test my skills on day 1. My skills are lame. But I have a kit and learned the gist of things.
You may ask: why are you learning to pick locks, spacefem? I have two very common motivations: first, locks are cool puzzles. It's just darn fun. Second, I like to know what security really is... if you have something important to lock up, are you just going to buy some random one and take the manufacturer's word for the fact that it's secure? Or do you want the knowledge to determine this for yourself? Most locks are just tougher-looking "please do not disturb" signs.
Oh so speaking of the syngress tweetup... parties! If you go to defcon it's good to be in a big group of people. The more people, the better the odds that someone in your group will get the hookup on the outside parties and get you in. Sure there are parties for everyone. The conference itself hosts the black and white ball, and Thursday night there was a fundraiser for EFF that was open to everybody. But that tweetup was at Ceaser's and had free drinks and lovely door prizes and cool people, we just heard about it through twitter.
Guys in my group got us into the Facebook party on Saturday night. Why was facebook having a party? Your guess is as good as mine. But we were in studio 54 at MGM, enjoying an open bar and a the geek band dual core, dancing the night away for several hours until the club went "normal" and tried subtle methods of de-nerding the place. Then it was back to the Riviera with us, where we found a weird random event in an upstairs suite, hung out until that got busted up. On and on.
The best thing I did was Friday night and was in fact conference-sponsored... hacker karaoke. Now I love karaoke anyway, but karaoke with geeks is extra special because there's a lot of common taste in music. We knew what to say in between the lines when someone sang "Sweet Transvestite" from Rocky Horror Picture Show. We remembered "Whatever" from siffle & olly. This was a first year for hacker karaoke so we were in a little room, maybe six tables and no bar but there was a place to buy six-packs down the hall so there was plenty of drinking. The room was packed with people at the tables, against the walls, sitting on the floor. I made some friends from baltimore. I sang "I would walk 500 miles" and there was much singing along. I also sang "Girl at the rock show" because it's kind of my signature karaoke song and so much fun. The great thing about being out of town is that you can sing your song and nobody knows you do it every other week... if club indigo hears me sing "Girl at the rock show" one more time they might stop letting me in. But this was great because there's a line, "When we said we were gonna move to VEGAS, I remember the look her mother gave us..." so hey, fits a theme, go me! I'd forgotten that one.
By the end of the night we were screaming, sweaty, dancing, packed, and blew out the sound system after "Pianoman". Marc said he knew that'd happen. He was actually down the hall DJing the black ball for crazies but stopped in every so often to see how I was doing, and I was doing fine, I'd made some friends from baltimore who were saving my chair and happy to see me sing. When the speakers stopped working we just kept singing. And then requested songs according to what we, as a group, still wanted to belt out together, like Bohemian Rhapsody. It was one of those zen love happiness moments everybody lives for, totally relating to a room of people you barely know, lost in your own little world. we high-fived and hugged and smiled and lost our voices, and that was what we'd wanted.
Well, some of the non-sessions were sort of like sessions. I hung out in the lockpicking village for several hours. It's this room upstairs with tables stocked with various combination and bike locks so you can test your skills. I was fortunate enough to win a lock-picking kit from this guy at the hackers for charity booth before the conference even started! I won it on twitter, ran into him at the syngress tweetup thursday night, and got to test my skills on day 1. My skills are lame. But I have a kit and learned the gist of things.
You may ask: why are you learning to pick locks, spacefem? I have two very common motivations: first, locks are cool puzzles. It's just darn fun. Second, I like to know what security really is... if you have something important to lock up, are you just going to buy some random one and take the manufacturer's word for the fact that it's secure? Or do you want the knowledge to determine this for yourself? Most locks are just tougher-looking "please do not disturb" signs.
Oh so speaking of the syngress tweetup... parties! If you go to defcon it's good to be in a big group of people. The more people, the better the odds that someone in your group will get the hookup on the outside parties and get you in. Sure there are parties for everyone. The conference itself hosts the black and white ball, and Thursday night there was a fundraiser for EFF that was open to everybody. But that tweetup was at Ceaser's and had free drinks and lovely door prizes and cool people, we just heard about it through twitter.
Guys in my group got us into the Facebook party on Saturday night. Why was facebook having a party? Your guess is as good as mine. But we were in studio 54 at MGM, enjoying an open bar and a the geek band dual core, dancing the night away for several hours until the club went "normal" and tried subtle methods of de-nerding the place. Then it was back to the Riviera with us, where we found a weird random event in an upstairs suite, hung out until that got busted up. On and on.
The best thing I did was Friday night and was in fact conference-sponsored... hacker karaoke. Now I love karaoke anyway, but karaoke with geeks is extra special because there's a lot of common taste in music. We knew what to say in between the lines when someone sang "Sweet Transvestite" from Rocky Horror Picture Show. We remembered "Whatever" from siffle & olly. This was a first year for hacker karaoke so we were in a little room, maybe six tables and no bar but there was a place to buy six-packs down the hall so there was plenty of drinking. The room was packed with people at the tables, against the walls, sitting on the floor. I made some friends from baltimore. I sang "I would walk 500 miles" and there was much singing along. I also sang "Girl at the rock show" because it's kind of my signature karaoke song and so much fun. The great thing about being out of town is that you can sing your song and nobody knows you do it every other week... if club indigo hears me sing "Girl at the rock show" one more time they might stop letting me in. But this was great because there's a line, "When we said we were gonna move to VEGAS, I remember the look her mother gave us..." so hey, fits a theme, go me! I'd forgotten that one.
By the end of the night we were screaming, sweaty, dancing, packed, and blew out the sound system after "Pianoman". Marc said he knew that'd happen. He was actually down the hall DJing the black ball for crazies but stopped in every so often to see how I was doing, and I was doing fine, I'd made some friends from baltimore who were saving my chair and happy to see me sing. When the speakers stopped working we just kept singing. And then requested songs according to what we, as a group, still wanted to belt out together, like Bohemian Rhapsody. It was one of those zen love happiness moments everybody lives for, totally relating to a room of people you barely know, lost in your own little world. we high-fived and hugged and smiled and lost our voices, and that was what we'd wanted.
I'm home from defcon! It was an amazing weekend, I have so much to write about, but really couldn't while at the conference because I was afraid to log in anyplace. Even thought livejournal has secure logins, I still get nervous. Plus, when you're in vegas, who has time to write? You're supposed to be running around like crazy which is exactly what I was doing.
So I'll do little detail entries throughout the week I guess, but for now just a general overview.
What I did: Went to Defcon, a yearly "security" conference. The main focus is computer software security but people also learn about lock picking, dumpster diving, hardware modifications, how to get away with shit, activism, culture, and debauchery.
The uber-nerd in me absolutely loves all conferences for their SESSIONS. Yes, I go on vacations to sit in lectures all day. But it's awesome. There were some not-so-great ones... I noticed several sessions about the aviation industry but both let me down. The one on air traffic control and ADS-B let me down a little, because the guy proposed no grand solutions to some obvious flaws in the FAA's new system. The one on in-aircraft wi-fi hot spots let me down a LOT because the guy evaluated these networks the same way you would an on-ground hot spot, and refused to go into the real cool factor about airplane networks, which is the handoff protocols.
There were some fabulous sessions though. Sherri Davidoff had a two-hour presentation on day one called "Death of Anonymous Travel", where she meticulously described the various systems that track our movements, what the information is used for, why it needs to be more secure and what we need to do to change things. It was a little scary. Companies that record our every stoplight location on cameras aren't subject to security audits like they should be. We're all carrying tracking devices in our cell phones right now, and the telecom companies are giving our information to the government whenever they get bored, it seems. Increasingly, businesses are refusing to let us use cash, we have to use credit cards, and lots of information is shared at every credit card transaction. And don't even get us started on RFID. So anyway, my paragraph here obviously can't do the presentation justice but it was genius.
I saw Adam Savage from Mythbusters! Sometimes DEFCON organizers seem unaware that this has become a large conference, and this was definitely a case. They allow ten minutes per session for people to transition in and out of a room, whether we're seeing some MIT kid nobody's heard of or a TV star. People were lining up an hour early for Adam's presentation. The room would be big... 900 people, but that's not a 10-minute transition. The line wrapped around the whole riviera and just about went back on itself. I personally didn't line up until 15 minutes before the presentation, and the goons (conference staff) told me that I would NOT make it in, the room would be full. 50 people behind me, they flat-out stopped letting people line up, saying they'd missed their chance, go find another session.
Well, we all got in. Actually when the line ended the big room was only 3/4 full. 900 seats, guys, it's gonna be a big line. His presentation started a half hour late because no one was seated. There was a huge overflow room with NOBODY in it because the goons had told latecomers to go home.
But his talk was funny and enlightening. He talked about failing and what it teaches you, and told stories of his terrible failures... big ones that involve really letting people down. He said great people learn from their mistakes and correct them, and making mistakes doesn't even prevent you from making other ones, but it might at least help you recognize when you're going down that road. He doesn't trust people who say they've never failed miserably at something.
My other favorite session was about hackerspaces. It was a panel talk of people from different cities involved in these spaces. The gist is that 50 or so friends get together, pitch in $20 a month, and rent a space where they can store tools and parts, take up hobbies that would otherwise burn the house down, have social events and be a cool part of the community. Washington DC has one that's trying to get free wi-fi in economically challenged areas. The one in Toronto is teaching people to code in Python using open source textbooks. And sometimes they just do fun stuff... brew beer, make clocks, program a toilet to post to Twitter every time it flushes. It was an awesome talk that made me totally want to join a hackerspace in Wichita if we ever get that far.
Finally, I saw a guy demonstrate a modem that was built in 1964. It's "accoustic coupled", meaning you set a handset on it and it uses phone tones to send data, because back then it was illegal to plug in devices to telephone networks unless they were Ma Bell approved. He found the old part, figured out how it worked and now has an awesome working piece of history. That, my friends, is what hacking is all about!
Okay... I hate when livejournal entries are so long people are scared to read or comment, so I'm leaving this here. I did not cover much! I went to more sessions, and haven't even started talking about the parties or general vegas fun we got into, guess that'll be later!
So I'll do little detail entries throughout the week I guess, but for now just a general overview.
What I did: Went to Defcon, a yearly "security" conference. The main focus is computer software security but people also learn about lock picking, dumpster diving, hardware modifications, how to get away with shit, activism, culture, and debauchery.
The uber-nerd in me absolutely loves all conferences for their SESSIONS. Yes, I go on vacations to sit in lectures all day. But it's awesome. There were some not-so-great ones... I noticed several sessions about the aviation industry but both let me down. The one on air traffic control and ADS-B let me down a little, because the guy proposed no grand solutions to some obvious flaws in the FAA's new system. The one on in-aircraft wi-fi hot spots let me down a LOT because the guy evaluated these networks the same way you would an on-ground hot spot, and refused to go into the real cool factor about airplane networks, which is the handoff protocols.
There were some fabulous sessions though. Sherri Davidoff had a two-hour presentation on day one called "Death of Anonymous Travel", where she meticulously described the various systems that track our movements, what the information is used for, why it needs to be more secure and what we need to do to change things. It was a little scary. Companies that record our every stoplight location on cameras aren't subject to security audits like they should be. We're all carrying tracking devices in our cell phones right now, and the telecom companies are giving our information to the government whenever they get bored, it seems. Increasingly, businesses are refusing to let us use cash, we have to use credit cards, and lots of information is shared at every credit card transaction. And don't even get us started on RFID. So anyway, my paragraph here obviously can't do the presentation justice but it was genius.
I saw Adam Savage from Mythbusters! Sometimes DEFCON organizers seem unaware that this has become a large conference, and this was definitely a case. They allow ten minutes per session for people to transition in and out of a room, whether we're seeing some MIT kid nobody's heard of or a TV star. People were lining up an hour early for Adam's presentation. The room would be big... 900 people, but that's not a 10-minute transition. The line wrapped around the whole riviera and just about went back on itself. I personally didn't line up until 15 minutes before the presentation, and the goons (conference staff) told me that I would NOT make it in, the room would be full. 50 people behind me, they flat-out stopped letting people line up, saying they'd missed their chance, go find another session.
Well, we all got in. Actually when the line ended the big room was only 3/4 full. 900 seats, guys, it's gonna be a big line. His presentation started a half hour late because no one was seated. There was a huge overflow room with NOBODY in it because the goons had told latecomers to go home.
But his talk was funny and enlightening. He talked about failing and what it teaches you, and told stories of his terrible failures... big ones that involve really letting people down. He said great people learn from their mistakes and correct them, and making mistakes doesn't even prevent you from making other ones, but it might at least help you recognize when you're going down that road. He doesn't trust people who say they've never failed miserably at something.
My other favorite session was about hackerspaces. It was a panel talk of people from different cities involved in these spaces. The gist is that 50 or so friends get together, pitch in $20 a month, and rent a space where they can store tools and parts, take up hobbies that would otherwise burn the house down, have social events and be a cool part of the community. Washington DC has one that's trying to get free wi-fi in economically challenged areas. The one in Toronto is teaching people to code in Python using open source textbooks. And sometimes they just do fun stuff... brew beer, make clocks, program a toilet to post to Twitter every time it flushes. It was an awesome talk that made me totally want to join a hackerspace in Wichita if we ever get that far.
Finally, I saw a guy demonstrate a modem that was built in 1964. It's "accoustic coupled", meaning you set a handset on it and it uses phone tones to send data, because back then it was illegal to plug in devices to telephone networks unless they were Ma Bell approved. He found the old part, figured out how it worked and now has an awesome working piece of history. That, my friends, is what hacking is all about!
Okay... I hate when livejournal entries are so long people are scared to read or comment, so I'm leaving this here. I did not cover much! I went to more sessions, and haven't even started talking about the parties or general vegas fun we got into, guess that'll be later!
I was using a public restroom. The toilet paper roll was running a bit low. I turned and noticed a sticker behind it inside the dispenser. Read it. Had to write down what it said.
Yes. The toilet paper dispenser had Terms of Service. Maybe the store leases it, as part of a multi-level toilet paper purchase agreement. Maybe we all just have too many damn lawyers. Even so I had to stare at it because it never occurred to me that a company making toilet paper dispensers would want to enforce its rights, or even stretch its arm out to protect all future use of its product. Forever, apparently.
Why do they want to control something so small?
So off I go to defcon again this week, with like-minded hackers who want the world to be ours. If I have the intellect to make that toilet paper dispenser great, I should be able to do it. Turbo-charge the thing if I want. It's not a scary thought, it's not going to hurt people, unless you're afraid of freedom. And who in the United States should be? Whose country is this?
It will be discussed.
This dispenser is subject to restrictions on sale, modification, filling and use, and may be used only to dispense the trademark-bearing products identified on the exterior. [company] strictly prohibits unauthorized sale, modification, filling, or use of this dispenser, and will enforce its rights under United States and foreign laws.
Yes. The toilet paper dispenser had Terms of Service. Maybe the store leases it, as part of a multi-level toilet paper purchase agreement. Maybe we all just have too many damn lawyers. Even so I had to stare at it because it never occurred to me that a company making toilet paper dispensers would want to enforce its rights, or even stretch its arm out to protect all future use of its product. Forever, apparently.
Why do they want to control something so small?
So off I go to defcon again this week, with like-minded hackers who want the world to be ours. If I have the intellect to make that toilet paper dispenser great, I should be able to do it. Turbo-charge the thing if I want. It's not a scary thought, it's not going to hurt people, unless you're afraid of freedom. And who in the United States should be? Whose country is this?
It will be discussed.
Okay, last entry...
DEFCON is a hacker conference, and as many of you know, my websites have gone down to hackers recently so I don't exactly have a soft spot in my heart for them. But I learned a few really important things about hacker culture this weekend that I'd like to comment on.
Everyone at the lectures is obsessed with security and incredibly paranoid about their own security. In a way, I felt like hacking was like shooting someone just because you thought they should be wearing a bulletproof vest, and a bullet in the chest was the only way to really drive your point home. So, they're assholes.
But the more I listened to them, the more I think their view on security are somewhat different. One of the speakers telling people how to pick locks put it best. He said that when he was a kid, his dad showed him a gun and showed him how to check to make sure it wasn't loaded and that the right safety measures were in place. He told him to never take anyone else's word that something was safe... see it for yourself. Know it for yourself.
In a way, these guys are the same way about computer security. They want to be able to see what's in there. They want to know everything about security, and make their own systems tighter, and they get really frustrated with corporations don't see things the same way. When a corporation says, "Buy our software and take our word that it's safe," a hacker gets really offended.
So there are hurtful criminals who really want systems to go down, but most of these people just want the world to think about security and think about safety and think for themselves, which is what we all want.
Maybe the only way for me to keep my systems secure is to be a hacker myself. Really read up on this stuff, learn how it works, stuff like that. It'll take time, but it's important, and this weekend has taught me that it can be interesting too. There's cool shit going on out there, and cool people who are interested in security, and a lot of ground to cover that I can handle.
DEFCON taught me a lot and I'm infinitely glad I got to go, that's really my point here... I was lucky.
now let's go tear up some code.
DEFCON is a hacker conference, and as many of you know, my websites have gone down to hackers recently so I don't exactly have a soft spot in my heart for them. But I learned a few really important things about hacker culture this weekend that I'd like to comment on.
Everyone at the lectures is obsessed with security and incredibly paranoid about their own security. In a way, I felt like hacking was like shooting someone just because you thought they should be wearing a bulletproof vest, and a bullet in the chest was the only way to really drive your point home. So, they're assholes.
But the more I listened to them, the more I think their view on security are somewhat different. One of the speakers telling people how to pick locks put it best. He said that when he was a kid, his dad showed him a gun and showed him how to check to make sure it wasn't loaded and that the right safety measures were in place. He told him to never take anyone else's word that something was safe... see it for yourself. Know it for yourself.
In a way, these guys are the same way about computer security. They want to be able to see what's in there. They want to know everything about security, and make their own systems tighter, and they get really frustrated with corporations don't see things the same way. When a corporation says, "Buy our software and take our word that it's safe," a hacker gets really offended.
So there are hurtful criminals who really want systems to go down, but most of these people just want the world to think about security and think about safety and think for themselves, which is what we all want.
Maybe the only way for me to keep my systems secure is to be a hacker myself. Really read up on this stuff, learn how it works, stuff like that. It'll take time, but it's important, and this weekend has taught me that it can be interesting too. There's cool shit going on out there, and cool people who are interested in security, and a lot of ground to cover that I can handle.
DEFCON taught me a lot and I'm infinitely glad I got to go, that's really my point here... I was lucky.
now let's go tear up some code.
I am back from DEFCON.
I haven't updated my journal since Friday so I have to do my best to remember everything that happened since that morning. Egads. I'm going to do this in a series of entries, starting with this first one about conference lectures.
( DEFCON Conference Lectures I sawCollapse )
I haven't updated my journal since Friday so I have to do my best to remember everything that happened since that morning. Egads. I'm going to do this in a series of entries, starting with this first one about conference lectures.
( DEFCON Conference Lectures I sawCollapse )
Okay, if to describe Las Vegas in two words, I'd use these: Not Wichita. This place is basically insane, and the DEFCON part of the trip hasn't even started yet, so here I am checking in for a brief report on what's happened so far.
We left Wichita Wednesday night and drove... in the car was my friend from the LUG, a girl who's turning out to be a potential future roommate (PFR), a techno DJ from atlanta, and yours truly. we took 54 out of Wichita, across the end of the oklahoma panhandle, through a tiny corner of texas, and then switched to interstate to go across New Mexico and Arizona. I drove starting Thursday morning around 6 until about noon through gorgeous mountains like I'd never seen before. We drove over the hoover dam, getting out to take pictures. We showed up in vegas around noon.
From there it's kind of a blur so I'll do my best... we hit up the old strip casinos like Golden Nugget and played coin slots and ate lunch, then left to buy alcohol for the hotel room. The goal was to shop and get back to swim here but we didn't make it, because it takes us an hour and a half to get anywhere in this town, even if we think it's going to be five minutes. It also took four liquor stops, because us Kansans didn't believe people when they told us to just go to Albertson's or whatever. You can't buy liquor at grocery stores in Wichita! But as I said, Vegas is not Wichita.
We also don't have slot machines in our grocery stores, or our gas stations, or laundromats... I asked a local if there were any buildings here without slot machines and he was like, "Well, I guess some churches."
Some churches.
We got back late. Our DJ had connected with some local cousins of his, and they had free passes to a club, but the guys were concerned about dress code so they left again to go buy pants. PFM and I got clubbed up in cute skirts and then were bored so we decided to walk around and talk to Defconners around alexis park while sipping drinks we'd made.
The problem was that none of the defconners seemed interested in talking to two girls wearing skirts and tank tops. Everyone else was wearing jeans and black t-shirts. If you weren't goth, you weren't with the crowd. So I went back and changed into jeans and my thinkgeek STFU t-shirt and did another walk-around, and guess what? I didn't even make it to the first pool before some random hottie reading the defcon schedule smiled and said, "nice shirt." I was on a semi-mission to fix a broken defcon badge, so I went and did that and then came back to talk to him. Turns out he's a programmer from california, and we had lots to talk about, so we hung out for about two hours until my crew found me and said we were going out to eat. I invited my new friend.
We went to some hole in the wall italian place where wine is free with dinner. It was pretty bad wine. But dinner was good, and it had free cuppucino which was important since I hadn't really slept more than a few hours since we left Wichita. We went to Rio, but the clubs there were dead, so we left and went to Treasure Island. They have a club called Tangerine that we had to wait in line to get into, but once we were in it was packed and the music was great. In Wichita, there are no packed dance clubs on Thursday night... Saturday is pretty much the only option there. Las Vegas is not Wichita.
More differences: in Wichita, to go from club to club, you have to finish your drink first. We don't even think about it, it's just an unspoken, "Wait until I finish my drink." Our local cousin friends looked at us like we were nuts... "Just TAKE it! Walk around, nobody cares, this is NOT WICHITA!" Also, we're used to clubs closing at 2. Clubs don't close here. Nothing closes here. When we finally got tired at 4 and decided to go to Denny's for drunken breakfast, there was still traffic and everything was lit up just like it had been in the peak of the night. I'd been drunk for 12 hours straight. I laid in the back seat with my new friend from california (who was not only cute and tall and great to dance with, but a good kisser too) while my sober LUG friend drove everyone home.
Back at our hotel there was no where to sleep. The beds, couches, chairs, everything was all taken. Then sun was coming up. I rolled out my sleeping bag and the was next to me in a blanket, snoring and rolling over on me, and I slept for another two hours. Woke up. Showered. Here I am.
My feet feel like something awful happened to them. I lost my deoderant and had to use someone else's. I have on my jeans from last night and the bottoms are sticky and crunchy. I'm still drunk and might fall asleep standing up.
I absolutely love this!
We left Wichita Wednesday night and drove... in the car was my friend from the LUG, a girl who's turning out to be a potential future roommate (PFR), a techno DJ from atlanta, and yours truly. we took 54 out of Wichita, across the end of the oklahoma panhandle, through a tiny corner of texas, and then switched to interstate to go across New Mexico and Arizona. I drove starting Thursday morning around 6 until about noon through gorgeous mountains like I'd never seen before. We drove over the hoover dam, getting out to take pictures. We showed up in vegas around noon.
From there it's kind of a blur so I'll do my best... we hit up the old strip casinos like Golden Nugget and played coin slots and ate lunch, then left to buy alcohol for the hotel room. The goal was to shop and get back to swim here but we didn't make it, because it takes us an hour and a half to get anywhere in this town, even if we think it's going to be five minutes. It also took four liquor stops, because us Kansans didn't believe people when they told us to just go to Albertson's or whatever. You can't buy liquor at grocery stores in Wichita! But as I said, Vegas is not Wichita.
We also don't have slot machines in our grocery stores, or our gas stations, or laundromats... I asked a local if there were any buildings here without slot machines and he was like, "Well, I guess some churches."
Some churches.
We got back late. Our DJ had connected with some local cousins of his, and they had free passes to a club, but the guys were concerned about dress code so they left again to go buy pants. PFM and I got clubbed up in cute skirts and then were bored so we decided to walk around and talk to Defconners around alexis park while sipping drinks we'd made.
The problem was that none of the defconners seemed interested in talking to two girls wearing skirts and tank tops. Everyone else was wearing jeans and black t-shirts. If you weren't goth, you weren't with the crowd. So I went back and changed into jeans and my thinkgeek STFU t-shirt and did another walk-around, and guess what? I didn't even make it to the first pool before some random hottie reading the defcon schedule smiled and said, "nice shirt." I was on a semi-mission to fix a broken defcon badge, so I went and did that and then came back to talk to him. Turns out he's a programmer from california, and we had lots to talk about, so we hung out for about two hours until my crew found me and said we were going out to eat. I invited my new friend.
We went to some hole in the wall italian place where wine is free with dinner. It was pretty bad wine. But dinner was good, and it had free cuppucino which was important since I hadn't really slept more than a few hours since we left Wichita. We went to Rio, but the clubs there were dead, so we left and went to Treasure Island. They have a club called Tangerine that we had to wait in line to get into, but once we were in it was packed and the music was great. In Wichita, there are no packed dance clubs on Thursday night... Saturday is pretty much the only option there. Las Vegas is not Wichita.
More differences: in Wichita, to go from club to club, you have to finish your drink first. We don't even think about it, it's just an unspoken, "Wait until I finish my drink." Our local cousin friends looked at us like we were nuts... "Just TAKE it! Walk around, nobody cares, this is NOT WICHITA!" Also, we're used to clubs closing at 2. Clubs don't close here. Nothing closes here. When we finally got tired at 4 and decided to go to Denny's for drunken breakfast, there was still traffic and everything was lit up just like it had been in the peak of the night. I'd been drunk for 12 hours straight. I laid in the back seat with my new friend from california (who was not only cute and tall and great to dance with, but a good kisser too) while my sober LUG friend drove everyone home.
Back at our hotel there was no where to sleep. The beds, couches, chairs, everything was all taken. Then sun was coming up. I rolled out my sleeping bag and the was next to me in a blanket, snoring and rolling over on me, and I slept for another two hours. Woke up. Showered. Here I am.
My feet feel like something awful happened to them. I lost my deoderant and had to use someone else's. I have on my jeans from last night and the bottoms are sticky and crunchy. I'm still drunk and might fall asleep standing up.
I absolutely love this!
I think I am going to go to defcon with a bunch of random people who I barely know. A friend of mine from the Linux meetup just called me last week and was like, "We have a spot in a car and a HUGE hotel room... come with us!" and at first I was like, "SWEET! I'm going to DEFCON!!!" then three hours later I was like, "WTF? I can't just go to defcon with some random people. They could be serial killers." Then with more phone conversations and info, I started to feel like maybe this could be cool.
I mean, I haven't had a vacation this summer. I've got the money (it's not much money anyway, since the hotel and travel bills are all split up so much). Jason assured me that I am in fact geeky enough for defcon... there are all sorts of levels of hackers there and lots of people go just to party and watch the contests.
This is by far the craziest thing I've ever considered doing. It's in like two weeks and it's going to be a hell of a car trip. But I'm young, and these people are all young, too, and what do you do when you're young? Have adventures! I've never been to a big computer conference, never been to Las Vegas.
Time to get geeky, I guess!
I mean, I haven't had a vacation this summer. I've got the money (it's not much money anyway, since the hotel and travel bills are all split up so much). Jason assured me that I am in fact geeky enough for defcon... there are all sorts of levels of hackers there and lots of people go just to party and watch the contests.
This is by far the craziest thing I've ever considered doing. It's in like two weeks and it's going to be a hell of a car trip. But I'm young, and these people are all young, too, and what do you do when you're young? Have adventures! I've never been to a big computer conference, never been to Las Vegas.
Time to get geeky, I guess!
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