Hooooly smokes, y'all. Just wrapped up my Dosa Divas review draft, and it's currently 7,620 words. Hope y'all like reading, because tomorrow I'll be editing it (my brain needs a break for the rest of the night, haha), and then it'll be going live!
I was never particularly interested in them (though I have had some chill times in Euro Truck Sim), but it's just very weird to see an entire subgenre seemingly completely colonized by low-effort garbage.
Is it just me, or is the subgenre of janky, "realistic" simulator games almost entirely taken over by AI slop now? I know a lot used to be asset flips trying to cash in on the success of games like Euro Truck and Train Simulator, but every time I see new ones now, they look to be drenched in AI.
And as a nice bonus, if the system overheats, you'll get to enjoy the lovely smell of fresh baking! 😁
For years now whenever I've written about these sorts of games, I've tagged them as things like "narrative" or "peaceful" to try to capture the focus/vibe without using the dreaded phrase "walking simulator". But you make a good point about the shift, and maybe it's time for me to follow suit. 🤔
I also now have a desire to make an adventure game just so I can put in a bit where you go into a bedroom, open up a big chest to search through it, and the game tells you, "There's nothing but junk in this trunk."
Me: "Ok, I'm behind on almost everything atm, from chores to writing to movies. So when I'm not resting to beat this illness faster, I'll do those things."
My Brain: "Hey, remember that video game you and three others made in uni? You should redo it from scratch by yourself! Ya know, for the lulz!"
2 and 4 in particular had me really confused the first few times, because I'd be watching a movie where someone commented, "Well that's not very PC of you," and I'd think, "But they just tried to reinforce a stereotype; sounds pretty dang conservative to me!" 😝
I usually enjoy acronyms with multiple meanings (CBT's a classic), but I love how overloaded PC is for Canadians of a certain age:
- Personal computer
- Politically correct
- Protective custody
- Progressive Conservatives (former fed. party)
- President's Choice (store brand at a chain supermarket)
When you use AI to do your writing, you are telling your audience: “I deserve your attention, but you do not deserve my effort.”
Huge thanks to @drawfeeshow.com for practically making this a primal impulse for me. 😅
Just a heads-up that there's a good chance some of the game's promo art (at minimum) was AI-generated. The devs have denied it, but the images definitely have the style and visual inconsistencies that are hallmarks of genAI. May be worth considering a different game to be safe.
imgur.com/PwCHCuS
For context, he started writing the notes right after coming in, and I was masked up, so all he could see of my face were my eyes. So now I'm curious if he'd have written the same thing had I done my eyeliner and mascara like usual, or if they do more for my appearance than I give them credit for. 😝
Dragged myself to walk-in today largely due to a gnarly, persistent cough that's accompanied my recent illness, and when I went to sit back down after being examined, I noticed the doc's notes for me started, "Acutely ill-looking," and all I could think was, "This is just how I look sans makeup." 😅
Two hooded figures with lamps approach a moonlit, isolated cottage. A woman answers the door. We have come for the child, says the hooded figure So soon? she asks It is time, says the hooded figure. The woman is distraught. We should never have got him a library card! What is done cannot be undone, says the hooded figure We couldn’t see the harm! We just wanted him to enjoy reading! For most, it ends there, says the hooded figure, turning away and walking into the wilderness Oh lord, What have I done! says the woman, the child walks past her and out into the darkness with them. Do not cry mother. I am a writer now.
my latest books cartoon for @theguardian.com
I already feel like it can be delicate to balance resting and doing fun/important activities on an average day, but being sick just exacerbates it. What do you mean I need to not just account for my mental health, but also my physical health? Who came up with *that* idea?
Can't wait to review it, decide it's mid/not for me, and get dogpiled by fans as a result, all while my island consists of nothing more than me married to a Rowlet while Hugh Morris dicks around in a corner. 😅
I fully intend to pick up Tomodachi Life at some point and experience the chaos it has to offer, but I genuinely worry I'm not creative enough to fully appreciate it. I see screenshots on here of bonkers situations people are creating, and every time my reaction is, "I would never think of that!"
i really kinda wanna encourage you to not feel embarrassed. we cannot cleanup the world's big messes, but we can tidy up our little corner of the world - and i think that is a good thing to do. there's no great shame in tidying up your corner - it is a wholesome thing.
anime girl saying "i think girls should date girls, and boys should become girls and date girls"
Illustration of Supergirl walking across a starscape, reaching out to touch a nearby falling star
Happy #Supergirl Day! :D
But...but silly little trinkets are the best! 🥺
Idk, maybe I'll call my local stores on Sunday, see if they still have anything I'm interested in, and if so (and if I'm feeling up to it), I'll mask up and make a quick stop. But feeling like crap has definitely taken the wind out of my sails. 🤧
Damn, nothing like getting sick right before Record Store Day...😖 Thankfully there wasn't anything major I was looking to get, but it still would have been nice to get in on the hype; Black Friday 2025 was a ton of fun!
Doom is a form of mum game. Any game in which you clean the level meticulously and thoroughly before moving on and then the next time you return its a mess again is a mum game
Right. So... I bristle at the way people talk about other planets, as though they're worthless hunks of rock made for the taking, because they don't have life on them. As though having life is the only thing that could make a 5 billion year old world valuable. In fact, 1/-
I like bluesky because it feels so much like tumblr
1. barely works
2. userbase is annoying (affectionate)(not that affectionate)
3. being queer on here feels like I’m actively participating in ruining some tech company’s investment
Honestly, I may end up penning a review *and* a more personal piece on this one, but I need to let things simmer and see if there's enough to warrant that second article, or if it can all roll into one without feeling overstuffed. Either way, planning to start drafting tomorrow!
Phew...just beat Dosa Divas this evening, and I apparently have *thoughts*: I currently have over 2400 words in my notes doc! And here I thought I was going to become less verbose in my writing...😅
Steamed Hams full transcript Well, Seymour, I made it- despite your directions. Ah. Superintendent Chalmers. Welcome. - I hope you're prepared for an unforgettable luncheon. - Yeah. Oh, egads! My roast is ruined. But what if I were to purchase fast food and disguise it as my own cooking? Delightfully devilish, Seymour. Ah- Skinner with his crazy explanations The superintendent's gonna need his medication When he hears Skinner's lame exaggerations There'll be trouble in town tonight Seymour! Superintendent, I was just- uh, just stretching my calves on the windowsill. Isometric exercise. Care to join me? Why is there smoke coming out of your oven, Seymour? Uh- Oh. That isn't smoke. It's steam. Steam from the steamed clams we're having. Mmm. Steamed clams. Whew. Superintendent, I hope you're ready for mouthwatering hamburgers. I thought we were having steamed clams. D'oh, no. I said steamed hams. That's what I call hamburgers. You call hamburgers steamed hams? Yes. It's a regional dialect. - Uh-huh. Uh, what region? - Uh, upstate New York. Really. Well, I'm from Utica, and I've never heard anyone use the phrase "steamed hams. " Oh, not in Utica. No. It's an Albany expression. I see. You know, these hamburgers are quite similar to the ones they have at Krusty Burger. Oh, no. Patented Skinner burgers. Old family recipe. - For steamed hams. - Yes. Yes. And you call them steamed hams despite the fact that they are obviously grilled. Ye- You know, the- One thing I should- - Excuse me for one second. - Of course. Well, that was wonderful. A good time was had by all. I'm pooped. Yes. I should be- Good Lord! What is happening in there? - Aurora borealis. - Uh- Aurora borealis at this time of year at this time of day in this part of the country localized entirely within your kitchen? - Yes. - May I see it? No. Seymour. ! The house is on fire. ! No, Mother. It's just the northern lights. Well, Seymour, you are an odd fellow but I must say you steam a good ham.
Today is officially the 30th anniversary of Steamed Hams. On April 14, 1996, "22 Short Films About Springfield" aired for the first time!