Matthew Arcilla, editorial mercenary
@experimentego.bsky.social
Anglophonic Tsinoy | He/They | Twitch @ experimentego
Just a cat in a human suit. The death of print magazines put me on retirement. Sometimes I still get to write words.
"Aren't you, *the* Matthew Arcilla?" "I used to be."
Just a cat in a human suit. The death of print magazines put me on retirement. Sometimes I still get to write words.
"Aren't you, *the* Matthew Arcilla?" "I used to be."
Sick day. More like sick week, actually. Watching some of the worst capeshit on TV.
February 8, 2026 at 6:29 AM
Sick day. More like sick week, actually. Watching some of the worst capeshit on TV.
Reposted by Matthew Arcilla, editorial mercenary
This sonnet was so much fun to write. It’s in This Elegance and thank you to @newenglandreview.bsky.social for originally publishing it 💜
February 7, 2026 at 7:35 PM
This sonnet was so much fun to write. It’s in This Elegance and thank you to @newenglandreview.bsky.social for originally publishing it 💜
As a Filipino, I can confirm that much outsourced digital labor in the Philippines consists of "remotely faking processes described as automated." Since these workers are contractually forbidden from disclosing this work, people remain continuously surprised by this in the year of our lord 2026.
Once again, it turns out “fully autonomous” means “a guy in the Philippines.”
It Turns Out Waymos Are Being Controlled by Workers in the Philippines
During a Congressional hearing, Waymo's chief safety officer, Mauricio Peña, was grilled over the company's reliance on overseas workers.
futurism.com
February 7, 2026 at 2:43 AM
As a Filipino, I can confirm that much outsourced digital labor in the Philippines consists of "remotely faking processes described as automated." Since these workers are contractually forbidden from disclosing this work, people remain continuously surprised by this in the year of our lord 2026.
Reposted by Matthew Arcilla, editorial mercenary
I think it's perfectly understandable that many people feel a deep sense of resentment and disenfranchisement for the time capitalism has stolen from them, but the answer is not to embrace capital's machine that pretends to show you an inner life you aren't having.
February 6, 2026 at 8:47 PM
I think it's perfectly understandable that many people feel a deep sense of resentment and disenfranchisement for the time capitalism has stolen from them, but the answer is not to embrace capital's machine that pretends to show you an inner life you aren't having.
Reposted by Matthew Arcilla, editorial mercenary
Every instance of "AI democratizes the arts, you're classist and ableist and a gatekeeper for trying to stop it" is a slap in the face to the literally centuries of poor, disabled people making art on the margins and a crass lie in service of a machine that strips down and regurgitates dreams
February 6, 2026 at 5:36 PM
Every instance of "AI democratizes the arts, you're classist and ableist and a gatekeeper for trying to stop it" is a slap in the face to the literally centuries of poor, disabled people making art on the margins and a crass lie in service of a machine that strips down and regurgitates dreams
Reposted by Matthew Arcilla, editorial mercenary
do I need to watch any other Woody Allen films if I want to get into the Predator franchise
February 4, 2026 at 4:01 PM
do I need to watch any other Woody Allen films if I want to get into the Predator franchise
Really funny how, in a ploy to provoke pants-shattering tumescence from shareholders, game companies proudly declared a future of AI integrated into game dev. But when an industry outsider started bragging about its game generator, were quick to denounce AI potential and 'champion' humans.
February 4, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Really funny how, in a ploy to provoke pants-shattering tumescence from shareholders, game companies proudly declared a future of AI integrated into game dev. But when an industry outsider started bragging about its game generator, were quick to denounce AI potential and 'champion' humans.
Reposted by Matthew Arcilla, editorial mercenary
My craziest take is Stanley Kubrick made Eyes Wide Shut because he knew there was a secret society in NYC where people bought and used and killed women, but you needed to be a billionaire not just a millionaire like Dr. Bill. Made sure to have Lolita scene with Leelee Sobieski too!
Honest question. Is the list of rich people not on the Epstein list shorter than the list of rich people who are?
February 4, 2026 at 12:44 AM
My craziest take is Stanley Kubrick made Eyes Wide Shut because he knew there was a secret society in NYC where people bought and used and killed women, but you needed to be a billionaire not just a millionaire like Dr. Bill. Made sure to have Lolita scene with Leelee Sobieski too!
"In Metro Manila, where temperatures go as high as 35 Celsius, the mall is regarded as an air-conditioned oasis, providing comfort from the consequences of climate apartheid and insulation from the unjust cost of living in the country. Filipinos bear the brunt of high energy costs in the region."
Air-Conditioning
A version of this article was originally published in 2023 as “Air-Conditioning,” in issue no. 5 of Viscose: A Journal of Fashion Research and Criticism. Responding to the theme “retail,” it w…
alicesarmiento.wordpress.com
February 3, 2026 at 6:26 AM
"In Metro Manila, where temperatures go as high as 35 Celsius, the mall is regarded as an air-conditioned oasis, providing comfort from the consequences of climate apartheid and insulation from the unjust cost of living in the country. Filipinos bear the brunt of high energy costs in the region."
Describe your Bluesky account in one image
February 3, 2026 at 4:21 AM
Describe your Bluesky account in one image
Reposted by Matthew Arcilla, editorial mercenary
This article is almost 10 years old but remains evergreen.
"The line on men has been that they're the only gender qualified to hold important jobs and too incompetent to be responsible for their conduct."
"The line on men has been that they're the only gender qualified to hold important jobs and too incompetent to be responsible for their conduct."
The myth of the male bumbler
How manipulative men use one of our culture's most muscular myths — that men are clueless — and weaponize it into an alibi
theweek.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:49 AM
This article is almost 10 years old but remains evergreen.
"The line on men has been that they're the only gender qualified to hold important jobs and too incompetent to be responsible for their conduct."
"The line on men has been that they're the only gender qualified to hold important jobs and too incompetent to be responsible for their conduct."
This is so depressing. We didn't know "everything" back in the day, but it used to be you could trust the health information ecosystem around you. Only in certain exceptions did the craziest shit make it out, via legal loopholes or spaces without regulation. Now misinformation is the standard.
just got an AI ad that said diabetes is caused by a parasite in your body and can be cured with cinnamon sticks and apple cider vinegar and I literally can't believe how bad ads have gotten in such a short span of time and that this was allowed.
February 2, 2026 at 8:09 AM
This is so depressing. We didn't know "everything" back in the day, but it used to be you could trust the health information ecosystem around you. Only in certain exceptions did the craziest shit make it out, via legal loopholes or spaces without regulation. Now misinformation is the standard.
Reposted by Matthew Arcilla, editorial mercenary
This is Jerry Lawson. He invented the video game cartridge for the Fairchild Channel F system. Because of his invention, many consoles had cartridges and CD formats and would become the norm.
The Atari 2600, NES, Genesis, and many consoles wouldn't exist without him.
Happy Black History Month.
The Atari 2600, NES, Genesis, and many consoles wouldn't exist without him.
Happy Black History Month.
February 1, 2025 at 11:04 PM
This is Jerry Lawson. He invented the video game cartridge for the Fairchild Channel F system. Because of his invention, many consoles had cartridges and CD formats and would become the norm.
The Atari 2600, NES, Genesis, and many consoles wouldn't exist without him.
Happy Black History Month.
The Atari 2600, NES, Genesis, and many consoles wouldn't exist without him.
Happy Black History Month.
Tell me your pet’s name in a gif
February 1, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Tell me your pet’s name in a gif
Reposted by Matthew Arcilla, editorial mercenary
Take me down to the Parallax city where the far moves slow and the near moves quickly
February 1, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Take me down to the Parallax city where the far moves slow and the near moves quickly
Reposted by Matthew Arcilla, editorial mercenary
I'm going to be fully honest but the reason a lot of the Epstein stuff isn't shocking but also not pulling everything together for me is because it isn't one single, linear path for every thing in the last 20 years but also a method of power dynamics that have been described for decades by feminists
January 31, 2026 at 2:17 PM
I'm going to be fully honest but the reason a lot of the Epstein stuff isn't shocking but also not pulling everything together for me is because it isn't one single, linear path for every thing in the last 20 years but also a method of power dynamics that have been described for decades by feminists
Reposted by Matthew Arcilla, editorial mercenary
Fellow writers: I am deeply saddened to share that if we want the rewards of having written, we must submit to the mortifying ordeal of writing
January 29, 2026 at 11:26 PM
Fellow writers: I am deeply saddened to share that if we want the rewards of having written, we must submit to the mortifying ordeal of writing
About eleven months ago, I saw Daisy Ridley take on a new genre for her Cleaner, a film that was ultimately shit. Yesterday, I saw Daisy Ridley take on a new genre for her in We Bury The Dead, a film that was pretty good.
A ★★★ review of We Bury the Dead (2024)
This review may contain spoilers. Visit the page to bypass this warning and read the review.
letterboxd.com
January 30, 2026 at 5:29 PM
About eleven months ago, I saw Daisy Ridley take on a new genre for her Cleaner, a film that was ultimately shit. Yesterday, I saw Daisy Ridley take on a new genre for her in We Bury The Dead, a film that was pretty good.
Pre-recorded or pre-generated footage, wizards behind the curtain, outsourced labor... it's almost like the American tech industry is in the habit of using smoke and mirrors to make false promises of what their product will do, without having any idea as to how.
The case I cited is far from the only example of AI fraud, if I recall correctly more than one major GenAi company was using cheap labor to field searches for their chat not at one point. I can't imagine the moneybag people I'm talking about liked finding that out. Hah.
January 30, 2026 at 6:07 AM
Pre-recorded or pre-generated footage, wizards behind the curtain, outsourced labor... it's almost like the American tech industry is in the habit of using smoke and mirrors to make false promises of what their product will do, without having any idea as to how.
Honestly can't wait to see what kind of boondoggle this company will chase next to keep the hamster wheel of shareholder satisfaction moving to stave off the inevitable realization of what a dunderhead Mark Facebook is.
Meta's Reality Labs metaverse-focused arm generated $2.2 billion in revenue for the 12 months ending December 31st, 2025, but clocked up a $19.2 billion operational loss. Since the division was set up in 2020, the company has lost $83.6 billion on Reality Labs
www.gamesindustry.biz/metas-realit...
www.gamesindustry.biz/metas-realit...
January 29, 2026 at 1:04 PM
Honestly can't wait to see what kind of boondoggle this company will chase next to keep the hamster wheel of shareholder satisfaction moving to stave off the inevitable realization of what a dunderhead Mark Facebook is.
Always the people calling for people to be sensitive for the sake of sensitive souls who are actually the most sensitive. It's clear that Vincke has been nursing a wounded ego all these years, enough to propose some kind of get back system at every negative review that stung his sensitive soul.
Baldur's Gate 3 studio boss calls out "hurtful", "personal" videogame reviewers - "sometimes I think it'd be a good idea for critics to be scored, Metacritic-style" https://bit.ly/4q56n4a
January 29, 2026 at 12:54 PM
Always the people calling for people to be sensitive for the sake of sensitive souls who are actually the most sensitive. It's clear that Vincke has been nursing a wounded ego all these years, enough to propose some kind of get back system at every negative review that stung his sensitive soul.
Reposted by Matthew Arcilla, editorial mercenary
recorded a Windows 95 full disk defrag to soothe your timeline.
January 29, 2026 at 9:48 AM
recorded a Windows 95 full disk defrag to soothe your timeline.
"In my restless dreams, I see that place. Virra Mall. I promised you I'd take you there again someday, didn't I? I'm sorry, I never did."
January 29, 2026 at 7:47 AM
"In my restless dreams, I see that place. Virra Mall. I promised you I'd take you there again someday, didn't I? I'm sorry, I never did."
"It’s a shortcut measure that appears to be helpful, but will ultimately present further problems down the line. [...] In terms of safeguarding all that identifying data, all it takes is one bad day for one crooked person to make a mockery of the system and exfiltrate all that information."
[Tech Thoughts] Mandatory social media identity verification: A shortcut open to abuse?
The DICT is seeking comments and inputs on the matter of mandatory identity verification of user accounts on social media platforms. Here's some of the arguments against it.
www.rappler.com
January 29, 2026 at 3:11 AM
"It’s a shortcut measure that appears to be helpful, but will ultimately present further problems down the line. [...] In terms of safeguarding all that identifying data, all it takes is one bad day for one crooked person to make a mockery of the system and exfiltrate all that information."