Chris

Idle Weekend September 15, 2017: Use It or Lose It Idle Weekend is back! After a too-long lapse where PAX happened and we all worked too much, Rob and Danielle return to what they know best: talking about Star Trek, Farscape, and immersive sims. After a riveting discussion of criminally under-utilized licenses in games and the new Dishonored, they open a heavy mailbag and an especially exciting discussion of weekend projects. Discussed: Battlestar Galactica Deadlock, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek (TOS), Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Farscape, Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, Guy Fieri, Wonder Woman, Vienna Blood: A Max Lieberman novel, The Sheriff of Babylon, Starfighter (comic) Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Same. Over the years, Thumbs has gotten more challenging in that regard for me as, despite being s video game developer, I’m definitely less generally immersed in and aware of everything going on in games, so I have to try a lot harder to maintain those connections. That said, IIT is easily the most difficult podcast I’ve ever done. (Which I know is ridiculous because it’s so stupid.) Although Thumbs being so hyper focused one one topic presents its own challenges, those limits do simplify things. With IIT, on the other hand, every topic can theoretically be connected to any other topic, which can be paralyzing. I actually have to prep a bit for IIT, which I never have for Thumbs (aside from making sure I’ve played something). The show always turns out better when we each have some ideas in mind, even though we don’t share them with each other ahead of time. Not bringing up video games isn’t a challenge because I just don’t think about it either way—if it comes up, great; if not, great. The challenge is thinking of unexpected shit across all axes as much as possible. Also same.

Important If True 28: It Will Not Be Reused You probably think you're pretty smart. Well, Einstein, chew on this: If a tree falls in an empty forest in an empty universe, does it make a virtual sound? Is Colonel Sanders really a powerful sorcerer? And, if so, can he bid Chuck E. Cheese robots carry out his every whim? Open your mind, and destroy all your preconceptions. They will not be reused. Discussed: KFC virtual reality training program, Burger King Subservient Chicken, "Keep fucking that chicken", real magic, Chuck E. Cheese Concept Unification video, Chuck E. Cheese animatronic eradication, living robots imbued with life by a malevolent stage magician, immortal Colonel Sanders, The Giant Children's Food Brand Wars of the 1970s, ketchup, catsup (ugh), your every decision being constantly questioned, your constantly-questioning AI monitor reinforcing your stupid self-absorbed worldview, the eternal questioner Colonel Sanders ruling your consciousness, the creation of a perfect universe simulation, infinite universe recursion, dying within the machine, a tree falling in an empty forest in an empty universe, the most hubristic hoisting of all, the end of Men in Black, The Matrix 2, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl Send us your questions at [email protected]. If you enjoyed this and would like to subscribe to an ad-free feed, please consider supporting Idle Thumbs by backing our Patreon. Nick's Endorsement: "The Katering Show" YouTube series Jake's Endorsement: Keeping the wiring in your entertainment center or computer desk clean with double-sided velcro and a cable zipper Chris' Endorsement: Getting a decent point and shoot camera (I got a Canon G9X and like it), and learning a bit about how aperture, shutter speed, and ISO work to help take better photos and understand your camera Jake's Extra Post-Chris Endorsement: Apps to help take better phone photos, like Halide for iOS Sponsored by: Warby Parker prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses home try-on, Tales of Miir weekly fantasy saga Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Haha, this is super cool, well done.

It's a reference to a line from that Chuck E. Cheese video that Jake quoted in this episode--it's just a reference to Jake saying it from earlier in the episode. I haven't even watched the video, I just thought that phrase Jake quoted from it was hilarious.

Hooooly shit

Important If True 27: Join and Undermine Careful listeners might detect a hidden message in this podcast. Are you attuned to our frequency? Keep that in mind as you ponder these eternal mysteries: Is it better to smell a rose, or is it better to get your ass going? Are sneeze sabotage strategies all in your imagination? What's the deal with fidget spinners anyway? And does any of this matter? One thing is clear. At the end of the day, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em and undermine 'em. Discussed: fidget spinner, FÏDGT™, German artisanal heritage fidget spinner manufactory, Orson Welles peas commercial, the power of a Kamenstein Perfect Tear Paper Towel Holder in the palm of your hand, electronics devices with addictive sliding battery cases that are way better than fidget spinners, historical Ireland keyring, BABY, sneeze sabotage strategies and the supernatural, the history of sneezing superstitions, childhood guilt-inducing power fantasies, grownup elevator call button power fantasies, decoy crosswalk buttons that do nothing, battery powered by your sweat and tears, why you cry, marsh-dwelling weeping sadness robot, beach-dwelling laughing happiness robot, Brad Bird, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Tomorrowland, adage-optimized objectivist wasteland, classic adages, breaking eggs to make an omelet, Brahma chickens fucking you up for breaking eggs, beating 'em, joining 'em, capitalism, undermining (metaphorically), undermining (literally), hoisting by undermining, creation of a self-reinforcing adage-backed worldview, redundant local newscasts, the historical emergence of local news, Cyber-Times, CyberTimes.com Send us your questions at [email protected]. If you enjoyed this and would like to subscribe to an ad-free feed, please consider supporting Idle Thumbs by backing our Patreon. Chris' Endorsement: Binging With Babish YouTube cooking series, and also the movie Big Night (Amazon, iTunes) Nick's Endorsement: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches ("white bread, JIF peanut butter, and any preserve that you want") Jake's Endorsement: Shitty Mario novelty Twitter account, Supper Mario Broth blog of Mario deconstruction Sponsored by: Quip electric toothbrushes, WASD German-language video game magazine Kickstarting its English-language version Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Important If True 26: Get Hype U mad? Yeah, u mad. Look, get a hold of yourself, and consider these conundrums. If a driverless car has a driver, but the driver is dressed as a car seat, is Tom Cruise a passenger? If your DNA gets hacked by teens, which memes will you use to plug the holes? And what passive-aggressive slogan should you print on the jigsaw puzzle you give to your pharmacist? Get hype for this episode of "You May Be Retired, But You'll Always Be a Dentist." Discussed: man dressed as car seat, dressing for the job you want to have, staying incognito in a world of driverless cars, The Raid 2 car chase behind the scenes, injecting DNA with malware, precious meme blood cyberpunk future, hoisting via internet service convenience, procedurally generated Zazzle phrase clothing, waging a passive aggressive campaign using procedurally generated Zazzle phrase clothing, your dream app, gross millennial cuspers, coffee cupping, cupping, cuppers, consolidating your confusing online media library, boiling like a frog in a pot of apps, Silicon Valley billionaire teen blood drinkers, Thiel-hacking teens, heaven, living forever online, turning into dirt, get hype Nick's Endorsement: Chat Pack conversation starter cards Chris' Endorsement: Hunt for the Wilderpeople (Amazon, iTunes, Hulu) Jake's Endorsement: Funemployed party card game Sponsored By: Quip electric toothbrushes, Warby Parker eyeglasses home try-on Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Idle Thumbs BONUS: Ruination Online August 2017 Enjoy this bonus episode drawn from our Idle Thumbs Patreon Ruination Online! Each month, we do a livestream where all topics have been posed by high-tier backers of our Patreon campaign: patreon.com/IdleThumbs. Due to popular demand, we're releasing the audio of that stream to the main podcast feed for easier listening. We'll be back with a regular episode of Idle Thumbs next week! Discussed: Thumbs survival instincts, The WIZYs, Nintendo Horsebag, music composition, streaming, tiki drinks, hobbies, anticipated upcoming pop culture, arcade machines, Major Havoc, Marvel Cinematic Universe, being curmudgeons about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, video game trades, shoes Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

This is always kind of how I heard it.

The claim that ketchup "has to" contain sugar by federal law strikes me as extraordinarily unlikely. That sounds like a classic piece of folk wisdom that sounds like it might be true but has no basis in actual law. I just looked up ketchup on the FDA website: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=155.194 The only single required ingredient is tomato (optionally including lemon juice for pH adjustment). Beyond that, it can include any combination of vinegars, sweeteners, and spices. "Ketchup legally has to contain sugar" sounds to me like the similar piece of folk wisdom that "Kentucky Fried Chicken was required to change its name to KFC because the meat they sell cannot be legally referred to as 'chicken.'" It's patently absurd because the word "chicken" is plastered absolutely all over their menu and marketing. EDIT: lol I wasn't even thinking about the fact that I'm posting in a thread of an episode whose artwork has the face of KFC's founder on it

Damnnnnn

(That was my bad, thanks Jake)

I learned much of what I know from the FlyerTalk forums. I don't spend as much time on them now as I used to, because a lot of the baseline information starts to get redundant and it becomes more about keeping up with every tiny new development, but I still have a slate of subscribed threads I check every couple days. It's an unparalleled resource for this stuff, I think.

This is truly profound

Twin Peaks Rewatch 50: The Return, Part 15 This week on Twin Peaks, things are either moving into position as the finale looms, or they are poignantly coming to an end. One Cooper hears a name he hasn't heard in 25 years, and the other Cooper finally asks about Judy, while Margaret Lanterman says a devastating goodbye, Ed and Norma finally get together and Nadine digs herself out of the shit. The end is very close! If you have a question for us or thoughts to share on the new season of Twin Peaks, write us at [email protected]. Looking for a place to discuss the season with fellow viewers? We recommend the Twin Peaks Rewatch forum. Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Idle Thumbs 278: Beef Chief Beef Chief [3/5 stars] We visited Thumbsland this weekend, and while riding Beef Chief I had fun with my son! So many ghosts every time I go down there! (Which is certainly not a problem.) I heard that burgers are real. I heard they're from burger church. I think about Thumbsland in my head, and it hurts, so I don't think about it for many years. Anyway, enough with the pleasantries! Come to our PAX meetup! (Saturday at 7pm at The Diller Room.) Discussed: Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Planet Coaster, trailers, ethletes, the catacombs of Paris Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

I've never eaten them so I'm not the best respondant, but for what it's worth, until Nick mentioned PB&J sandwiches, I don't think I'd heard another adult mention them for years.

It's time for the... Idle Thumbs Wizard Meet 2016 Pictured above: a wizard If you'll be in the Seattle area over Labor Day weekend, either to attend PAX West or because you live nearby, please join us for the 2016 Idle Thumbs Wizard Meet-Up! It's been a couple years since our last official fan event, and we knew we had to do another one when Spaff reminded us he has the perfect venue hookup: downtown Seattle's The Diller Room, an acclaimed bar featuring an excellent tiki drinks program. What could be better after weeks of watching Nick Breckon than to chill out with fellow Thumbs while sipping an expertly-crafted Zombie? We're expecting lots of Thumbs, including Chris, Jake, Sean, Spaff, and Danielle! Steve and Nick are still unconfirmed, so send them tweets saying they should come. WHAT: Wizard Meet at The Diller Room WHEN: Saturday, September 3, 7pm-10pm WHERE: 1224 1st Ave, Seattle, WA (Google Maps link) The event is FREE, so please show your appreciation for our generous hosts at The Diller Room by buying lots of excellent drinks and food!

Oh Nick is just as old an old man as I am.

Idle Weekend August 20, 2017: The Mooch In honor of the Mooch, we go through our gaming torrid affairs: games we had a very brief, very intense love affair with. Sometimes, these things just don't work out. Discussed: Kingdom, No Man's Sky, Empire: Total War, Mass Effect 3, What Remains of Edith Finch, Ruse, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Here you go:

The Idle Book Club 25: The Long Goodbye Sarah and Chris discuss The Long Goodbye, Raymond Chandler's classic noir crime novel. It's a cynical, gripping tale of twists and turns, and it's a whole lot of fun. Join us! Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Idle Thumbs 310: They Came Through the Floor They're out there. They're at the gates. You can hear their indistinct scrabbling and inhuman gobbering. scrabbling and It's a strange and hostile world—dinosaurs, self-replicating weird car homunculi, The Thing—but that's why you built your house out of stone, after all. There's nothing to worry about…is there? One of the voices pierces the night and, pressing your ear against the thick walls, you strain to hear. "Come out, you piece of shit!" Discussed: West of Loathing, ideal game rating system, Production Line, self-driving car robot capitalist nightmare, The Isle, Rust, fair betting on competitive spectator games, hypothetical The Thing online multiplayer game, Grand Moff Tarkin Sponsored by: Squarespace, with the offer code "THUMBS" for 10% off Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Ugh this is so true, just think about it