The best I can do is try anyway. I'm going to sustain myself, and I'm going to love the people who make that accessible in what definitely feels like the End Times. I'm finding pleasure and hope where I can. I'm surviving and that's enough right now.

Society has become unlivable. My memory is getting worse everyday. I'm tired all the time. I don't know how much of that is stress or post-pandemic viral brain damage. It's stopped mattering because no one is coming to save me either way. People want me like this. We're a defeated culture.

We've been made numb by years of thinking society will collapse due to global warming, and now it's clear we're also living through economic collapse and an intellectual coup. Plus Naz*s might get to us first.

But go to work and do your homework. Turns out ... we can't.

Guilt has consumed me this year watching my work ethic crumble before my eyes. I'm anti-AI and I've seriously considered using it just to pretend I'm still capable. I get furious when I see co-workers use it, only to realize I'm envious. It feels like my own principles are hurting me.

AI replacing people is a narrative that is being sold by snake oil salesmen who have a lot to benefit by you giving them all your money for some magical cureall for treating employees well.

AI is a golden goose that will be murdered by its own creators out of their own greed.

We're spotting AI like in the early days of Photoshopping. It will become goofy and incredulous just as quickly. We will get better at spotting it, not worse. Exposure kills the magic of it.

Remember CGI in movies in the early days? Laughable today.

Humans will always prefer humanity. Just how we biologically function.

People have unfettered access to AI generation right now and instead of a massive world-wide adoption, we have guns to our heads ordering us to use it. Because AI requires human input to have semblance of humanity.

Actualplays are healing.

Having someone like Matt Mercer sitting down with them at this time is HUGE. You can tell that Perkins and Crawford were like "nah these guys are alright," plus they have clout and the country's first gaming convention. This makes them relevant again in a time where they all need to be unified.

I don't hear anyone talk about Acq Inc, even though Wil Wheaton was a core member. Penny Arcade's likely did it to themselves as they were problematic gamer bros in queer safe space, and I don't defend that. Jerry Holkins going solo with C-Team was a wise choice

Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford were both DMs for Acq Inc in its prime, and were forced back after marketing through actualplays dried up under Hasbro. It makes absolutely sense the designers would move on to establish something independent.

Acq Inc adopting Daggerheart is a huge 'Fuck Hasbro'

And you pair with someone enduring the same, and you approach each other and the material with such reverence. It's got to be a holy experience

Can you imagine having a massive team of full-time employees whose sole job is to make you the best version of you that you could possibly be

Leo and Kate became lifelong friends after Titanic because big movies just do that ppl. It's make believe, yes, but it's still real stress and beauty, and a unique understanding of knowing what it's like to be those people for millions

I say this as a survivor of gaslighting where I deeply questioned my memory and sanity. If he is invested in correcting this as much as you, that's a good sign it's sign it's not gaslighting. Memory problems are known to increase with stress, especially with ADHD

What I would pay attention to is how hard he insists. You are doing this great thing where you are taking a step back, inspecting and reflecting, reaching for ideas. Is he doing the same? Is he questioning himself? Is he a little frightened, too? ADHD or no, he should want to not hurt you.

a co-op game of strategy should be able to handle someone's request for a brief, one-time very important strategy