Matt Demers

Getting that urge to play Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous again.

Save 20% on Cast n Chill on Steam Cast n Chill is a cozy idle (and active) fishing game where you explore serene lakes, rivers, and oceans. Catch rare fish, upgrade your gear and reel in legendary catches - all with your loyal…

(Cast n' Chill - not a shillpost). store.steampowered.com/app/3483740/...

Man, what a beautiful game.

The Tulpa in Your Pocket + AI boyfriends, thought digest, 08.11.2025

yesterday I wrote about the tulpa in everyone's pocket. read it here:
default.blog/p/the-tulpa-...

I’m 10x more likely to be excited or hyped about quality-of-life updates to a game rather than new content.

I think more people would be more comfortable with AI automating their jobs if they had more faith that they would be supported during "what comes after."

It feels like we're just going to be tossed onto the streets and told "OUR financials are great, thanks!"

I see so many things that I want where the answer to getting them seems to be “just commit, stupid.”

I think I gotta start playing volleyball again. It genuinely does a lot for my mood.

And even if I fuck up at applying this new mentality, it will not make me any less deserving of being frustrated at struggling.

You can't be curious and open about something if you're constantly self-critical about the time being useful or productive.

Especially if it ends with a moral judgment (it does for me), you'll never be able to give yourself permission to explore without pressure.

I said I'd get back into #StreetFighter when Elena released; I will, but with a different mentality than usual.

I make too many things into "projects" and while I want Master rank, it just won't happen with my usual approach. Gotta let go of self-guilt and be kinder to myself.

Baby falcon chick updates: getting flight feathers, being coaxed onto the ledge by mom to eventually get more flapping/hovering practice.

Two girls, two boys this year. Slowly losing the fluff.

The Calm Lands

Also:

1. You were forced to endure friction (for the better) because you didn't have 200 other games waiting in the wings.
2. There was a good chance you had dial-up or limited Internet (no personal device) to spoil/optimize the game.
3. You earned no clout besides the schoolyard bragging.

Another reason to start learning how to self-host your own apps: I've been working to replace Pocket with Readeck and Wallabag, but they aren't the same as first-party experiences on e-readers.

Got an email from Pocket saying that they're shutting down on July 8. I've been using them since they were Read It Later (pre-Mozilla acquisition).

This feels like the Google Reader shuttering; a big "sorry, the web doesn't work like this anymore."

The forest of not knowing On the constraints and freedom of uncertainty.

Some therapy stuff recently has revealed my awkwardness in spaces where things are uncertain. Doing chess puzzles are not the same as playing chess matches.

mattd.substack.com/p/the-forest...

The forest of not knowing On the constraints and freedom of uncertainty.

Some therapy stuff recently has revealed my awkwardness in spaces where things are uncertain. Doing chess puzzles are not the same as playing chess matches.

mattd.substack.com/p/the-forest...

Good choice!

The chicks be chick'n.

Woodcarved sitting capybara with a duck sleeping on its head

Another point of view

Friends

TRICKSTER DJ KRUSH · Album · 2020 · 14 songs

Work-time listening album recommendations:

open.spotify.com/album/7yxUvD...

It's a nice comfort.

Someone's reaction to Bungie announcing that Marathon 2 would be ported to Windows 95 (May, 1996 - via marathon.bungie.org/story/newmar...).

War never changes.

Introducing Forensic Fandom Not transformational or affirmational fandom, but a secret, third thing.

Monia Ali on how fandoms turn fans into detectives, driven by paratext:

exiledfan.substack.com/p/introducin...

Year three of watching the peregrine couple near my apartment and it's hard to explain how much joy they bring me. They're goofy at times but mostly very regal and loaf-shaped.

Ah, it's peregrine falcon nestwatch time of the year again.

Mom has another four this year (last year one didn't hatch). It's nice to see the birds in their scrape. falcons.hamiltonnature.org?wide

MidnightSumo - Twitch Sumo Wrestling REPLAY Marathon w/ Commentary | Day 5 of the January Grand Sumo tourney in Tokyo! | Sumo every Friday to Tuesday morn!

A reminder that there are few things as comfy as watching sumo in MidnightSumo's channel. www.twitch.tv/midnightsumo

Deadly Premonition and Twin Peaks comparison • Pioneer Project • Video games, UX, Sustainability A detailed analysis of the similarities between Swery65's Deadly Premonition and David Lynch and Mark Frost's iconic show Twin Peaks - with pictures.

I was debating playing through Deadly Premonition to compare all the moments that are explicit Twin Peaks references, but it looks like someone's already partially done that: pioneerproject.net/video-game-l...

Still a lot more to add.