I wholly disagree with that sentiment. They would be better off free in the ocean. We don't need to keep an eye on them. They aren't like great white sharks randomly swimming along the shore taking bites out of people. No. They're too smart for something so lowest-common-denominator as that. Yes, they're called "killer" whales for a reason, but you have nothing to fear from releasing them from captivity and enjoying all that the deep blue sea has to offer those beautiful creatures. Speaking of beautiful, I wonder if they share any relationship with panda bears, genetically speaking. They're very different except for the whole black and white thing. And what gives with that whole look anyway? Yes, it's badass and cute, but how does that fit into the whole natural selection deal? How does being black and white make you fitter? Hmm.

Did you ever see Free Willy? You couldn't have. Anyone who's seen that would never endorse keeping these beautiful, intelligent creatures in a cage, much less doing it just to "keep an eye on them." FOR shame!

I got to go to Jordan on business a couple years ago, and it was probably my favorite trip anywhere, ever. Petra is astonishing and absolutely worth a visit. Gerash and the Dead Sea were just as captivating, and the Jordanian people were lovely.

There are depressingly few journalists who call Osbourne out on his permanent-surplus horseshit....

While we're on the subject, the rhetoric from the left flank of Syriza against austerity seems to be shifting from failed policy to tool of class warfare. Or maybe it's just getting reported more prominently.

The IMF, and Lagarde especially, is also receiving more heat by the day for letting themselves get dragged into this troika business by Strauss-Kahn.

Yet in all this, there still isn't anyone willing to pull the trigger.

They all try to appease the mighty gods of the economy, with austerity chosen as their way of showing penance.

The yt description also says they've named him Will, and that he would be unsuitable for rehabilitation to the wild, as he was born in captivity in Brazil, but they want him to lead a life with as much dignity as possible from here on in.

That was captivating all the way through. So much skill, they made it look so easy. I'd love a little cabin like this in the woods!

I said they can feel more when dousing. The racoon is simply examining the items.

"Their paws contain highly developed nerves, and the water actually makes their paws more sensitive.

"Dabbling behavior in water is a fixed motor pattern in raccoons. Since only captive raccoons exhibit food-dousing behavior, scientists believe that washing food is simply a substitute for normal dabbling behavior, which has no other outlet in captivity,"

http://www.sungazette.com/page/content.detail/id/564573.html


Feeling things underwater is what they do. Why do you imagine the owners have supplied the racoon with a water bowl full of toys? It is to occupy its attention.

Never having read any of the Tolkien books, I made the questionable decision to read the Silmarillion before any of the other books (except the Hobbit). I gained one distinct advantage in reading through the LOTR books in that I already knew almost all of the stories that are only briefly told by the various characters. But was it worth it? Yes, though only the second half of the book was really captivating for me.

Sadly, some quick google searching indicates that the Silmarillion is still owned by the Tolkien estate who doesn't appreciate PJ's treatment of the LOTR/Hobbit. Maybe someday another studio/director might get the chance...

Eaten Alive?!? Wild 25 foot Anaconda?!? What BS. Turns out they couldn't find a 25 foot wild anaconda, so they used a 20 foot tame/captive one. Also, more like hugged alive. No part of him was eaten.
I call shenanigans! Everybody grab a broom!

You thought correctly. What a blast.

Even despite your recommendation, I expected it to be a run-of-the-mill action flick. Mucho pow pow, cheesy zingers everywhere... the usual. So it was all the more captivating when it turned out to be a proper dystopian cesspool of desperation.

When Dredd lured a group of them to a terminal, covered them in what looked like Willie Pete and set half the quadrant on fire -- that's cold. And if I didn't know Lena Headey to have quite the rock 'n roll personality, I'd be worried by how naturally the persona of an ice-cold murderer seems to come to her. Both Urban and Headey, now that I think about it. Very disturbing indeed.

Anyway, great recommendation, would have never touched it otherwise.

I thought the whole point of the Hobbit was to integrate many parts of Tolkien's works into the main framework of the Hobbit. Honestly, even tho it dragged a bit here and there, I am loving these movies way more than LoTR, book or movie. The Hobbit is a good, relatively well written book. The LoTR is a dungeon master that's narcissistically held you captive in his basement while he shows you all his figurines.

@Asmo

Except my daughter doesn't want to play other games--she wants to play Mario Brothers games. They have excellent game and level design. Why should she have to go elsewhere? Are you trying to say Mario Brothers games not for girls?

All my daughter is asking is to be allowed to play as the Princess--maybe after you free her from Bowser. That doesn't seem like much to ask, as it would have exactly zero effect on gameplay.

Personally, I'd go much farther and say when a game series continuously sends the message that women are helpless victims who need to be defended by men, when they're continuously objectified as trophies to be passed from player to villain and back to player again, then something is very wrong with that game and things need to change. Yeah, other games may be great, but why should that prevent people like Sarkeesian or myself from pointing out the games that aren't? Why should the trend itself not be pointed out when we can find examples of it outside of the Mario series?

No, it's not required that every game have a male/female playable character. It is, however, good business sense not to insult potential female customers of a product by portraying females (playable characters or NPCS) in sexist ways (or homosexual characters in bigoted ways, or ethnic minority characters in racist ways, while we're on the topic). This doesn't seem very difficult to understand and clearly game companies DO understand it because most are making great efforts to be diverse and more realistic in their portrayals of characters. However, just because some are trying doesn't mean we shouldn't point out the bullshit in those that don't. Games like the Mario platformer series, for instance.

You disagree with the way Sarkeesian presents her message... okay. I don't have a problem with that. I think everything you wrote grossly misrepresents what she's saying about games and gamers, but you're entitled to your opinion there.

Moving on... sorry you felt insulted. That was never my intent. But your comments on this issue are written in an extremely emotional manner as if you've somehow been personally wronged. If you don't want people to take it in that manner, you might want to think carefully about the tone your posts on this topic take. I have no idea what that link you provided was supposed to prove, so I'll just leave it alone.

On "Damsel in Distress," it's "your trope" because you've been--throughout this thread--defending it as if it is some bastion of literature that must be preserved. You are quite literally the only person I've ever seen actually try to defend it. And as I said, if it is that dear to you, you can have it. Games will still get made using it.

Other media,though, have long since moved on from it. Take the movie Die Hard as an example. Yeah, the main character's wife gets taken hostage by terrorists and that provides a nice emotional hook to move the plot forward--damsel in distress, right? If it were a game, though, we never would have heard from Holly Gennarro McClane again until Bruce Willis killed all the terrorists. Or maybe a video recording of her would show up after every "boss fight" where she tells John McClane, "Sorry honey, but I'm being kept in another part of the building."

But that's not what happens is it? The character of Holly is central to the plot of the movie and she appears nearly as much as John McClane does. She tries actively to subvert the terrorists by hiding her true identity and by taking responsibility to make sure the hostages are treated well during their captivity.

In other words she's portrayed as a real human being with personal agency throughout the movie.

And that's the point that you seem to be missing. That doesn't happen often in games despite the fact that it does happen in every other form of media (or at least in the examples from media that we generally consider "good"). When we are talking about the "Damsel in Distress" trope in games, THAT is what is being critiqued. Not the fact that someone was kidnapped to provide an emotional hook, but that one particular gender is always targeted and--to add insult to injury--is presented as weak, helpless, and without any agency of their own. They exist for the sole purpose of being rescued.

Thanks for the pro tip, BTW. Had no idea you were a pro at being a patronizing git but I'll take your word for it.

Biblically, Hebrew slaves. Historically otherwise it appears they and various other captive slaves were held and used in Egypt.

Egyptian labor build the pyramids. Citizen workers. conscript and contract both, lived in worker villages located around the construction sites. There has been much modern excavation of the villages. Residences, bakeries, and such has been found.

Lord, I’m on a Permanent Holiday I’m goin outside to play.
I ain’t gonna slave away. Not for no corporate Babylon.
I’m never gonna be a pawn in their manipulation games
I’m taking the reigns, breaking the chains, I’m never gonna kneel, no way.
My prophet is heaven sent.
No preacher or president gonna lead I astray

I’m taking Jah highway home.
I’ve got my own path to follow
Don’t know if you’ll overstand , I’ve got my own truth to swallow.
And if I could you know I would throw my guitar on my back,
Pick up the slack and leave here tomorrow. But I know that I’m
A pawn of Babylon, I got to face the facts, embrace the axe
And cut these chains of my sorrow

10,000 years of captivity, we must eventually open up our eyes and see
They’re manipulating we. With so much uncertainty and so many mysteries,
Why are so few questioning the unnatural state of things.
It’s a nightmare, we’re living in a nightmare, everyone’s living so scared
They’re virtually unaware of this fear that rules their lives, occupies, consumes their minds
This fear of bankruptcy, financial impotency. It’s money, money , money.
It’s all this digital currency. It’s all this monopoly money that keeps us from ever being free.
And so it seems we’ll be in this prison for life
Cause If we keep buying then they’ll keep selling the lies
And so it’s up to I & I
I won’t be manipulated, mind-controlled and inundated,
I will seek the revelation, make my life a celebration.
I’m gonna be the change I’m seeking, manifest the words I’m speaking
I refuse to be imprisoned I will make my own decisions

I’ll never go astray no.
I’m leaving the past and forwarding fast cause freedom is here to stay.
We got to take back the knowledge, take back the power
Take back what they have stolen from our hearts
Take back the esoteric knowledge, for too long they’ve been keeping us apart.
We got to take back the knowledge, take back the power,
Humanity don’t let this be our final hour.

...and zoo feed captive weight toward the high side as well....