Argobot

Wow, people have already finished it? I'm only about 3 hours in, but am absolutely loving the world of Infinite. All the religious iconography is beautiful, even though it doesn't make any sense that a society based on white supremacy would go with a heavy Catholic influence (those groups tend to dislike Catholics almost as much as they dislike other races).

My initial reaction to that scene was: "Press 'V' to melee? Ok." Two seconds later: "Ahhh, oh jeeze, what's going on, what have I done?!"

I agree that Mad Men is a better show overall, but I was trying to use it as a comparison point to show why it's not surprising that another period drama like Downton Abbey became so popular in the US.

Does Downton Abbey really have a bad reputation in the UK? Personally, I don't see how the show is any better or any worse than other period dramas (Mad Men is an obvious comparison). The first season is a perfect mix of great writing/acting and engaging plots that are schmaltzy, but not so bad that you feel silly for watching. The quality definitely takes a dip in the later seasons (although I haven't seen any of Season 3, so maybe things have improved), but I'm not surprised at all that this type of show is popular.

That picture does not do justice to how bonkers playing Weinhandler was with all the Thumbs people. Definitely my favorite part of PAX.

I believe it was launched during the DF panel at PAX, which makes the 'people watching Chris' thing sound way less creepy.

If I already wasn't outrageously excited for this game, that trailer would have pushed me over the edge. Riot Grrrl music just makes everything better.

I'm glad that you were able to connect with the book so quickly; I remember that it didn't quite click for me until well after the first 100 pages, but after that, it was surprisingly easy to read. There's always a kind of 'is this worth finishing?' calculation that goes into reading books that are widely known as 'challenging' or 'esoteric.' Even though many, many people love and praise Infinite Jest, when I first started reading it, I felt this very real fear that I would reach the end without ever connecting to or understanding the book. When I finally made it past the writing style (which is amazing starting on page 1, but still incredibly intimidating) and the weird structure, it all fell into place for me. Everything that once seemed random and meaningless becomes clear, and I realized that every detail, every character, was meticulously written and not just haphazardly thrown into the story. At the end, I actually found myself wishing the book was a few hundred pages longer (even though the actual ending is perfect, I just wanted an excuse to continue living in this whole world that DFW created).

Aleksandr Hemon has a new collection of short stories coming out this May, here's a link to NPR's review of the collection: http://www.npr.org/2013/03/19/174670609/hemons-the-book-of-my-lives-finding-beauty-in-sarajevos-scars?ft=1&f=1032&sc=tw&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter Hemon is one of my favorite modern authors; he received a MacArthur Genius Grant to write his only novel called The Lazarus Project, which explores the impact the Bosnian War has had on those who remained in Bosnia during the war and on those who emigrated. Hemon himself left Bosnia before the war even started, so a lot of his fiction deals with his memories of growing up in Bosnia, and the guilt he feels over leaving his friends and family. Cannot recommend him enough, I think a lot of people on this forum would enjoy his work.

Doesn't the exhibition floor close earlier than the rest of the convention? If it does, it might be easier to meet at the main entrance. Otherwise the DF booth is fine (as long as we don't take up too much space and awkwardly prevent other DF fans from stopping by).

Bioshock is just a Dishonored rip off (which was obviously a COD rip off)--actually made me laugh out loud. Oh You Tube commenters.

Well as a millionaire, surely you could at least afford Pete Campbell right? I'd settle for him.

Oh cool, you can give us a ride.

I'd love to join in on a meet up! Location doesn't really matter to me, although obviously the closer it is to the convention center, the more crowded it'll be. Just glancing at the panel schedule, I think I'll be available any time after 6 (completely willing to push that back if people have later panels they really want to see). Should we pick a time to gather near the convention center entrance and then wander to a not-so-crowded bar?

I have to know which book that's from.

This makes me appreciate the game infinitely more than anything the actual creator has said about it.

WAIT, Jonathan and Joshua Foer are related? Some how managed to never make this connection.

Important question: What sports can Sean beat Joe Biden at? (Answer: None, because Biden.)

Wait, does Jeremy Irons read the whole thing or does he just voice Humbert Humbert? Also, this is the first time I have ever been seriously interested in an audio book.

I need some advice from any Thumbs living in or near Seattle. I just found out that I've been accepted to UW's grad school, which will require me to move myself from DC to Seattle. Does anyone in the area have advice on apartments/jobs/anything? I've never had to move cross-country like this before, so it's all little overwhelming (but very exciting!).

Edit: Ugh you're right, I was thinking about Metal Gear Solid. Sorry, that was dumb.

https://api.twitter.com/nickbreckon/status/311535481210945537

Oh no you're absolutely right, starting fresh for the next episode is a really good idea because trying to continue a coherent discussion in this one is basically impossible. (Sorry for a poor attempt at humor there.)

Oh weird, my nose is bleeding.

I don't think anyone disagrees with you here, there definitely needs to be a more diverse depiction of both genders in all games. And you're right, most tropes aren't inherently bad, it just because a problem when they're unquestioningly repeated so often that we start accepting them as fact (in this case, the fact that women need to be saved/protected by men, which even if you personally recognize as wrong, there are still tons and tons of people who don't, hence why this trope is a problem). Yes, games as a whole need improving, and I think that projects like Sarkeesian's are a good attempt at showing what is wrong with games and coming up with ways to fix it. Since a lot of the issues with how women are represented in media are linked to how men are represented (overly masculine, unemotional, etc, etc), I think discussing and fixing the former will lead to better, more balanced representation of the latter.