An honest review of the latest Maxis DLC — Normally, I wait for Sims 4 DLC to go on sale before I invest in a new pack. Although the Sims 4 base-game, first released in 2014, is now free (and was $5USD for some time before that), EA Games milks its users by releasing paid DLC that adds features…

Spring Essay Writing Contest response — renewal — It started with a spot between her eyebrows. A patch of dry skin where the wind kissed her forehead on her morning walk. The winter had been cool and dry that year. A layer of frost, like powdered sugar, dusted the brown grass. She picked at the little patch of…

“AI Made Me Do It” Writing Prompts Part 4 — Springtime: a season of renewal and growth. Can an AI like ChatGPT really understand the feelings that spring brings to mind for us mortals? Probably not. But it can remix what’s been written about spring into 10 writing prompts for this installment of the Promptly Written promptilicious segment “AI Made…

Reviewing a Tragically Hip song and a tragedy — I recently read a list of The Sturg’s Top 20 Canadian musicians and when I read The Tragically Hip at number 20, I was reminded of one of my favourite songs: “Wheat Kings.” Listen to it here. I first heard “Wheat Kings” in my grade 11 Canadian Law class. Our…

2003 is calling: it wants its terrible plotline back — Imagine this: you’re a parent raising a shy, socially awkward 19-year-old. She’s going off to college soon, and you’re worried that she doesn’t have much worldly experience. The solution? Hire a random 32-year-old Uber driver off Craigslist to take your teenager’s virginity. He’ll take her to parties, “date” her, ply…

Reviewing a queer Robin Williams classic — The Birdcage (1996), an adaptation of French musical La Cage aux Folles, opens with an absolutely iconic scene: the camera pans across a crowded Miami nightclub as a group of drag queens perform “We Are Family.” The…

A review of adulthood — sort of — I am writing this on my 28th birthday. When I turned 27, I made this TikTok: Not much has changed since then, if I’m honest. I mean, I did recently submit my doctoral thesis. Now I’m in this post-submission limbo, waiting for my viva examination. With graduation (hopefully!) looming…

An “AI Made Me Do It” Story — “Hey, watch it! This is my turf!” came a gruff voice as Beezle squeezed under the bed. “Keep to your closet, bogey.” “Can it, Mub,” replied Beezle as he jammed his too-large body under the mattress. He was made for the closet, after all. “We have bigger fish to fry.” …

Their 15-second Super Bowl commercial likely caused DV — During this year’s Super Bowl, streaming platform Tubi aired a commercial that made it seem like someone was changing the channel. The clever marketing “prank” sent some football fans scrambling for the remote — and caused others to raise their voices and fists. ricj27 (@ SiakamRobbed): That tubi commercial almost…