Chris

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Posts posted by Chris

  1. Posted

    26 minutes ago, TychoCelchuuu said:

    Chris mentioned collecting slippers from hotels so that you always have free slippers around? Is this a thing? Hotels give you slippers...?

    Yeah lots of them do! Slippers and robes. Most hotels understandably prohibit you from taking the robe because those are laundered and reused, but slippers are generally discarded anyway and considered expendible. Since my wife likes them, I’m always sure to take them home. They’re a fun souvenir of the places I or we have been. 

     

    Because they're disposable, they generally only last a few months before falling apart, so it’s handy to have extra lying around.

  2. Posted

    17 minutes ago, DrZing said:

    Throughout the first half of this episode, all I could think of was: Have they not seen the movie Primer (2004)? If not, please do so immediately! One of the most mind-bending time travel movies ever made, it deals with the subject of traveling into the recent past and how you might deal with alternate copies of yourself. Also an amazing example of extremely low-budget filmmaking.

     

    I have, and I remember the general sensation of being overpowered by the labyrinthine complexities of time travel as presented in the film, but I don't remember a lot of detailed specifics.

  3. Posted

    Important If True 34:

    Important If True 34


    This is Celebrity Explainer
    Can cold spaghetti enable your rise as a charismatic cult leader? How do you outrun your own 17-hour-tape-delayed ghost? How do you fight your homeowner's association? The world is confusing. Fortunately, each week, there's one source to which you can turn: WikiHow.

    Discussed: Botnik Writer, Celebrity Explainer, eating cold spaghetti, mundane perception-alternate events, becoming a highly captivating charismatic cult leader, Roy Batty in Blade Runner, modern technology enabling you to relive your boring life forever, Mom's Spaghetti, a very well-known meme, encountering your own ghost, avoiding your own ghost, l'esprit de l'escalier, watching your own failures forever, Disney Channel Original Film "Me and My Ghost Pal", your own stupid subjective myopic experience, cutting parsley, generating associative memories, X-Acto knives, freeing yourself from bad associations, excellent WikiHow illustrations: How to Fight Your Homeowner Association, How to Break a Habit, How to Prepare Parsley, How to Escape a 17-and-a-half Hour Time Loop, Crown Records Management: The Power of Memory, The Truman Show but with a weird ghost version of you, The Game but the point is to make you eat McDonald's, Jones Pontiac Oldsmobile & Plymouth of Topeka, How to Avoid Encounters with Ghosts and the Paranormal, dreams

    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: Exercising with a pull-up bar in your home, and not doing crunches because they hurt your terrible old back

    Chris' Endorsement: The underappreciated Martin Scorsese dark comedy The King of Comedy (Amazon, iTunes)

    Jake's Endorsement: The dark Garfield art spiral of famed illustrator Olly Moss

    Sponsored by: Warby Parker prescription glasses with free home try-on, Quip electric toothbrushes with $10 off your first brush head refill

     

  4. Posted

    Idle Thumbs BONUS:

    Idle Thumbs BONUS


    Ruination Online October 2017
    Enjoy this bonus episode drawn from the 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 the first week of November!

    Discussed: Curb Your Enthusiasm, what we're doing with our lives, our favorite robot friend, memorable convention experiences, Rock Band, Guitar Hero, gaming peripherals, video game packaging, The Mystery of the Druids' amazing cover art, Dishonored Halloween, old-timey costumes, F/M/K, systemically-generated narrative, Firewatch, questions we won't answer, well-known movies we haven't seen, autotuned karaoke, living in Maryland, dealing with consumers, Jeff Goldblum, considering your unquestioned poisonous views

     

  6. Posted

    Idle Weekend October 13, 2017:

    Idle Weekend October 13, 2017


    Into the Woods
    Rob and Danielle both had delightful woodland experiences to recount this weekend, as well as stories about gaming happy places (like Prey) and a beloved movie—Blade Runner. The first one. Don't worry, we'll talk about the new Blade Runner soon!

    Discussed: F1 2017, Game of Thrones (the board game), Prey, Blade Runner: The Final Cut, Blade Runner: The Director's Cut

     

  9. Posted

    12 hours ago, Ben X said:

    A quote from @Jake in another DNF thread on Nov 10th 2004: "seriously, anyone who genuinely thinks 3DR is going to close up shop without putting out a ridiculously fun and engrossing Duke Nukem Forever is a fool. It might take them another two, three, or ten years, but they will eventually put out a game, and it will be fun, and it will sell a zillion copies."

     

    Omg, amazing

  10. Posted

    7 minutes ago, texashogride said:

    Is it really normal in some parts of the world to expect a fridge when moving to a new rental property? What happens if the fridge sucks? Sell it and buy a new one, only to leave it behind when you move again? 

     

    It's an appliance; I've never bought any large appliance when I've rented an apartment. In addition to never buying a fridge, I've never bought an oven or a dishwasher or a garbage disposal or a washing machine or anything else like that. All of those things could suck. I don't really have a good answer for what happens if they do, I guess. If they're actually busted though, I'd contact the landlord.

  11. Posted

    Idle Thumbs BONUS:

    Idle Thumbs BONUS


    Ruination Online September 2017
    Enjoy this bonus episode drawn from the 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 this very week!

    Discussed: virtual reality, augmented reality, being replaced by androids, traveling, candy, the Kit Kat for assholes, moving, choice moist hoistings, bad apartments, inscrutable communication, funny domain names, imposter syndrome, video game sophistication distinctions, Idle Thumbs Patreon postcard update, Kraft products, keeping journals, The West Wing: The Video Game, The Shitty Wizard: The Video Game, inadvertent hoistings by way of generosity

     

  12. Posted

    2 hours ago, Jake said:

    I don't know if that's how it feels for the other guys, but it is for me!

     

    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.

     

    2 hours ago, Jake said:

    Also "Centidad"... :tup:

     

    Also same.

  13. Posted

    On 9/11/2017 at 5:37 PM, nbridges said:

    I started a musical project called Black Market a few years ago as my Masters Thesis at Berklee. The loose concept is, what if an artist like David Bowie or The Beach Boys had collaborated with Lee Perry or Bob Marley in the 70s? What would David Bowie and The Wailers sound like? I find acapella versions of their most famous songs, and then re record all of the other parts myself to give them a reggae band. Essentially I make authentic dub/reggae remixes of their music. In addition, I've remixed dub versions of TV soundtracks from The X-Files, Stranger Things, The Twilight Zone and most recently Twin Peaks. All of my EPs are free! At one point I was making one a month, but that output wasnt sustainable. Twin Peaks was my 10th release and its done really well so far! I'd love some feedback. Here are a few others:

    David Bowie
    The Beach Boys
    The Clash

     

    Haha, this is super cool, well done.

  14. Posted

    4 hours ago, Fingus said:

    So what is "it will not be reused" a reference to? They commented on it being a deep cut, and now I can't stop thinking about it. 

     

    Also. The ketchup/catsup distinction and etymology discussion reminds me of how Peking is just a different spelling of Beijing. I used to think Peking was a region or city in China (or, well, a method of preparing duck) so I was surprised when I learned it was in fact an antiquated western spelling of Beijing. 

     

    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.

  16. Posted

    Idle Weekend September 15, 2017:

    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)

     

  18. Posted

    29 minutes ago, RubixsQube said:

    When I was a kid, I swear that Trader Joes made a thing they called "ketchy," and I once asked my parents why it was called this and not "ketchup," when it was actually just ketchup. I think that my parents told me that the word "ketchup" was reserved for a tomato based condiment that contains sugar, and other companies weren't allowed to call their condiments that if there wasn't added sugar. I thought this for most of my childhood (even into adulthood), although it is definitely not true. 

     

    EDIT: wait, I found this website here, which at least echoes my insanity from above. Could this be true? Does ketchup have to have added sugar? 

     

    EDIT 2: Perhaps this was just Trader Joes advertising? Here is a newspaper ad from 1980 which says: 

     

     

    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

  22. Posted

    Important If True 28:

    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

     

  24. Posted

    Idle Thumbs BONUS:

    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

     

  25. Posted

    5 hours ago, Kyir said:

    Do most people really not eat PB&J as adults? I find that assertion extremely questionable. Of course, I'm only basing my own assertion on the fact that I still eat them.

     

    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.