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Essays, Not Rants!

Thoughts and such by Joshua Tong

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Author: Joshua Tong

Thinking Machine

December 20, 2025 Joshua TongLeave a comment

Some weeks ago I heard an ad on the radio where the host was lamenting how some of the questions that toddlers ask are hard to answer — particularly those dreaded whys. Why does this do that, why is the sky blue, why do cars move, so on and so forth. The solution put forth… Continue reading Thinking Machine →

Tagged generative artificial intelligence

Faith Movie

December 7, 2025December 7, 2025 Joshua TongLeave a comment

Nearly fourteen years ago, when this blog was young (in fact, it might have been before I even bought the URL), I wrote a post on 'Christian' movies and how most of them were terrible when they really don’t have to be. It’s been over a decade and it feels written by a different person… Continue reading Faith Movie →

Tagged Movies, Wake Up Dead Man

Projecting

November 29, 2025 Joshua TongLeave a comment

The newest installment in Rian Johnson’s murder mystery series, Wake Up Dead Man, is out this week in a super limited release. Its predecessor, Glass Onion, was, likewise, only in theaters for a week on account of Netflix wanting to get their movie on streaming quick as possible. Unfortunately, Dead Man’s release coincides with Thanksgiving,… Continue reading Projecting →

Tagged bloggish, Movies

Over It

November 22, 2025 Joshua TongLeave a comment

The thing about a lot of games is that you’ve gotta be able to progress. The goal of Civilization is to dominate the world. In Metal Gear Solid you’ve gotta stop the terrorists from being able to nuke the world. In Shopping Cart Hero you’re doing sick stunts and the sicker the stunts the more… Continue reading Over It →

Tagged Getting Over It With Bennet Foddy, Video Games

Out And About

November 15, 2025 Joshua TongLeave a comment

No post today, on account of being away this weekend. Fiery Furnace So this is a post of pictures instead. Golden tree from Gemini Bridges. Couldn’t tell you what kind of tree it is. Except it’s gold. Whale Arch. It’s a whale.

Tagged bloggish, Yes this is a copout.

A New Story

November 8, 2025 Joshua TongLeave a comment

I was fortunate enough to call New York home for many years and it truly is no hyperbole to say that the city is someplace special. To my immense joy, on Tuesday the city elected a new mayor — one who sees the city much the same way I do, a place where anyone can… Continue reading A New Story →

Tagged bloggish, current events, Politics!?

Board Game Feel

November 1, 2025 Joshua TongLeave a comment

I was excited but skeptical when I first heard about a board game based on Mass Effect. I love board games, I love Mass Effect, but tying the two together seemed a risky endeavor. Board games have a lot to do with their theme — that is, the flavor that surrounds the base mechanics.  Monopoly… Continue reading Board Game Feel →

Tagged board games, Mass Effect

Dancing About Architecture

October 18, 2025 Joshua TongLeave a comment

Music is something I don’t write about often here mostly because it is something I find really difficult to write about. Which is a shame, because I love music; I just don’t really, well, know what it is. I can talk about video games and game feel and player agency and I can talk about… Continue reading Dancing About Architecture →

Tagged Frightened Rabbit, Music, poetry, Relient K

Dave of All Trades

October 11, 2025October 12, 2025 Joshua TongLeave a comment

Dave The Diver is ostensibly a game where you dive for fish by day and sell sushi of your catch by night. There’s a light restaurant management sim thrown in there to support the selling of said sushi, and a fish farm to, uh, farm fish for the restaurant. There’s also a basic farming sim… Continue reading Dave of All Trades →

Tagged Dave The Diver, Video Games

Go Home, Google

October 4, 2025October 4, 2025 Joshua TongLeave a comment

Not much of an essay or a rant this week for various reasons, but rather a quick observation that, wow, Google search has gotten real bad. Like, I can vaguely see how the connection can be made. Forsaken did see the guardian go rogue (renegade, if you will) and had a bit of a Western… Continue reading Go Home, Google →

Tagged Destiny 2, Video Games

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