Melos

I have consumed a hefty amount of MST3K in my life. Probably thousands of hours, dozens of repeated viewings. I used "Caption This" on the Sci-Fi channel website. I remember the disappointment of both cancellations and that Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders was technically the last new episode to be aired because of some broadcasting goof-up. I have the PlayStation Underground disc where Mike and the bots riff on some bad video game trailers and intros. At one point I even started to build a Tom Servo replica. I'm not saying there aren't many others here like me, but I am deeply, pathetically, qualified to comment on this topic.

As far as the Joel/Mike debate goes, I think you're better off paying attention to how old an episode is rather than who the host is. My opinion is that seasons 1-2 on Comedy Central/The Comedy Channel as well as the earlier public broadcast episodes on KTMA are dull and unwatchable. I'm sure at the time there was more of an edge to it, but in retrospect the oldest episodes are noticeably underdeveloped. Conversely, I think the best seasons are 8-10, the Sci-Fi Channel seasons. There are many, many older episodes that are among the best MST3K has to offer (almost all the shorts are entertaining), but the show is more consistently funny towards the end of its run. Maybe I just prefer the later movie choices. Opinions vary widely on the show, which is fine.

I remember Mike once commenting on how a lot of fans were children who stopped watching after a certain age, which he found strange. Clearly the "kids show" trappings are there; I don't think MST3K was ever after that audience, though.

Rifftrax is hit or miss with me. As with MST3K, I think most of the Rifftrax shorts are worthwhile. Then there's the oft-ignored Cinematic Titanic, which has some quality stuff. There was also a short-lived riff project Mike, Kevin, and Bill did in the interim between MST3K and Rifftrax called The Film Crew, which is fun to watch. If nothing else, make sure you watch MST3K: The Movie.

CBS is selling Giant Bomb to Jamie and Adam of Mythbusters.

Okay, here's my pitch: Imagine a 007 game where you slide from cover to cover, shooting people. Occasionally you, as James Bond, use a smart phone to engage in hacking mini-games that open doors to other places where you slide from cover to cover while shooting guys. If there's room in the budget, we can include a part in the game where you drive a car that has car guns. A point system is used to upgrade the smart phone, and those points can be purchased with real money.

Are you on board?

@mrhadouken: Thank Ares! God of War Saga was $15 last Black Friday, too, and I've been kicking myself since for not picking it up.

I enrolled in Driver's Ed, which exempted me from having to take a driving test when I applied for a license. I had to take a multiple choice exam, but that was a cake walk.

Just the other week I had to renew my license. I paid the fee, they took my picture, had me read a few letters for an eye exam, and now I'm good for another six years.

For what it's worth, I've been driving for over a decade now, and I've never had an accident.

There must have been a period between the injury and the scar when everyone just called him Scabface.

In a sense you are right. "Deceptively" can be used variably, so without context there is no clear meaning, as some have already pointed out.

There is a similar problem with "suspending belief" and "suspending disbelief." Because those phrases are rather idiomatic, they are understood to mean the same thing; however, for someone who doesn't speak English, those phrases require an understanding of which way belief/disbelief is being suspended (i.e. retained or repelled), the subject that is to be believed or not, and whether or not it is ideal to believe in said subject.

I would have said that both "deceptively easy" and "deceptively difficult" are idiomatic at this point, meaning "not easy at all" and "quite easy," respectively. But if your poll is accurate, I'm wrong about the latter phrase. Honestly, the best choice for a writer would be not to use the damn word at all.

I can't stop salty betting. I spent my kid's college salt fund, and now I'm doing tricks behind the chat bar for a $1 odds advantage. I need help. Is there a hotline I can call?

Don't waste your time and energy trying to keep yourself from changing. Letting go of the past is ultimately a healthy process, and will open a lot of doors for you in life. I know that sounds like a bunch of fortune cookie schlock, but you are going to have to deal with this dilemma many times over, beyond your issue with video games. I fully empathize.

Farscape. No one ever gives Farscape enough credit. Great characters that change dramatically over the course of the show, and some wonderfully bizarre concepts throughout. If you like anime, I think you'll appreciate how colorful that show is.