The number of nicknames we have for the dog is unconscionable: Meemo, Fraybay, Bubba Bear, Frabes, Lady, Dude, and on.

Finally got around to setting up the medal rack my wife got me. Makes all of it feel even realer! (Also the blue and pink of the Philly Distance Run is peak.)

Several people have reached out to me after reading this with ideas on how to regain a hobbyist attachment to games, and honestly, that rules. I still think I need a little distance, but it's been heartening to see people read this and say "I hear you. Here's how I approached this feeling."

We reached the 100 new subscribers we needed to unlock a Final Fantasy and politics issue for you folks! We'll start production soon with the goal of publishing it in early 2026. Thank you SO much for all of your help with this drive! We couldn't have done it without you.

Enjoyed this www.backlogmag.com/is-it-time-t...

I’m taking a break from gaming. Here’s my attempt at explaining why.

Latest newsletter draft firmly in the "this is either good or I've unraveled on the page" territory, word count-wise

New half marathon PR: 1:50:14 at the Philadelphia Distance Run. Special shout out to my wife and in-laws for getting up at the a**-crack of dawn to come with me to Philly, and to my brother-in-law and nephew for crossing the bridge to cheer me on at the finish line.

Philadelphia Distance Run tomorrow! Going for sub-two. Wish me luck. 🏃🏻‍♂️💨

it feels so good to write again, to play games again, after the worst year of my life. i picked a ridiculous game (that i love!) to relearn controller skills with, but taking my time makes it possible aftermath.site/silksong-hol...

Finally wrote about Trails, the series that’s winning by basically doing the opposite of what everyone else is www.theverge.com/games/781492...

Taught myself a new song tonight. Find things that feed you. We don't want to be hungry for what's ahead.

Here's your daily Seeger. Onward. What a friend we have in congress Who will guard our every shore Spend three quarters of our taxes Getting ready for the war

When this is all over (and one day, it will be—maybe not in my lifetime, but in yours), let us never forget the monied cowardice at the root of it all. The American god is the dollar. To them, there is no belief worth more than the bottom line.

Might be able to *drive* to Tahoe in that amount of time, ha ha, thanks, yes, I am a writer known for being funny

ARE YOU OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN A FREELANCER IN VIDEO GAME/TECH/CULTURE JOURNALISM? I want to talk to you for a story! DM me, email me, or hit me up on Discord (AlyssaMerc/alyssamercante) Please signal boost!

Every time I clean the couch, I swear the dog makes it her immediate mission to sleep in as many quadrants as possible to return it to its formerly hairy state

Instagram DMs consistently places my family group chat right next to the deranged meme chamber that is my closest two friends, meaning every day could be the day I send a picture of Shadow the Hedgehog on a crucifix to my sister in law

Nothing like Bluesky hitting you with your own post under “quiet posters”

oh hey i wrote this

If you missed it, this is a piece about how one tiny game became a referendum on an entire industry

Normal gamer: "Wow, so many new Mario games!" Me: "The Mario Marathon should be my first marathon."

Best wishes to our alumni students! As some begin PhDs, others have been continuing humanitarian and non-profit work, producing art and performing throughout the tri-state area, or otherwise enriching the crossroads between art and activism in their own pursuits. We wish them all the very best!

When will my husband* come back from the war** *these desperately unripe plantains **be usable

I have once again made too much pasta for my wife when I'm only leaving for a two-day work trip

This post caused my oldest friend, who is not on social media, to text me telling me that I "ripped Kirby a new one." Do with that what you will.

That does seem appealing

What is a celebration without achievement? A birthday party. What is a narrative without a story? The Democratic Party. Kirby is both. I probably shouldn't have played the new Kirby game, but I did, so here's me thinking through my consumption habits and what I actually want for dinner.

Big update to my personal branding: @walshbr.bsky.social’s son decided to start calling me “Greasy,” so that’s now my official nom de plume, thank you

“Editing according to traffic is not editing; it’s engineering,” nymag.com/intelligence...

MAGA bakery called “Don’t Bread on Me”

Heard the most disgusting thing on NJ Transit today: “Did you use ChatGPT? Sick, bro.”

Me, out loud, alone in my house: “who’s been eating all my pretzels”

New frames my wife calls “remarkably similar to your last pair”

Rogue.site is now a reality! Thank you to everyone along the way who helped make it possible. If you like what you see, and want more of it. Consider pledging your support with a subscription. Your funds will go to support independent games journalism written by humans, for humans.

New favorite spam text just dropped

Me when I definitely am not going to puke after a half marathon

Because I don’t get Labor Day off, I’ve been writing “happy Labor Day, laborers” as a sign off to every email. I don’t care if people don’t like it. This is for me.

My nephews have begun to text, which means I get random photography of fruit now and again that I tell them is “cool”

Something new cooking

Accidentally incepted my @nplusonemag.com subscription. A thoughtfully researched essay is forming in the air as I write this.

Are vaccines safe? Let’s ask the one guy at the gym everyone knows not to talk to

It's my favorite time of year: when I buy a new pair of glasses that are largely, but not entirely, identical to my current pair of glasses

Don't mind me, just having a quasi-religious experience on my long run crying to "The Cool, Cool River" from 2:50 onward. I believe in the future We shall suffer no more Maybe not in my lifetime But in yours, I feel sure

Not to go Full Sad about it, but at least for myself, with every day getting a little more fascist than the last, the fact that most games are idle entertainment rather than works of art with something to say makes playing them feel especially hollow. I tried to make sense of why in this newsletter.

been thinking about this too! lot of writers work hard to identify and praise what makes a game effective and, having done so, then try to argue that it’s meaningful. It’s not always!

Happy seventh anniversary to my heart and constancy. I’d fly anywhere so long as it’s with you. ❤️

"More people have walked on the moon than write book reviews for a living," says @roncharles.bsky.social. For @worldlittoday.bsky.social, I spoke with freelance and full-time book critics about the vanishing professional market for book reviews. worldliteraturetoday.org/2025/septemb...