iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 08/10/2026

The surveillance state has gone too far.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 05/06/2026

In the least important post of all time, I'm happy to announce that I finally did it.

Screenshot of a perfect 17-0 score from First Down Studio's 'Build a 17-0 Team' game. The team includes Josh Allen, Kenneth Walker, Puka Nacua, George Kittle, Texans DEF, and Robert Saleh.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 11/04/2026

I’m just so relieved they didn’t bring any vengeful space demons ba… oh no.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 18/05/2025

I honestly have no idea how I’m supposed to interpret this information but I enjoy that Basher was quite high on my list.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 26/04/2025

My attempt at ‘movie you’ve watched more than six times using gifs.’ Apologies @baddestmamajama.bsky.social for tagging you here… but I’m currently where the real Tweedle Dee was moored - I felt I had to!

An animated GIF of a scene from Joe vs. The Volcano in which Joe, standing on a group of water-tight steamer trunks, floating in the middle of the ocean, is watching the moon rise over the horizon, bigger than he ever thought it could be. His arms are raised as he witnesses this event and he’s about to speak an excellent line of dialogue, but that’s a story for another alt text.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 19/04/2025

This is Charlie. Charlie is not our cat. He is a very handsome skinny boi, however, and he loves to come visit us and hang out on our front porch. 4-5 times a day (sometimes more).

Charlie, an orange cat with white paws, eyes closed & napping in the shade on our front porch with his head resting against the porch railing. He is a neighbor’s cat, but he spends a lot of time visiting us.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 17/04/2025

First: If you haven't seen What Lies West, please make a point of doing so. It's fantastic. Second: Nothing I know of was set specifically where I grew up in NJ, but this is one of my all-time favorites, was set in my home state, and the breakfast scene (IYKYK) still gets me every time I see it.

Movie poster image for the 1996 film Big Night, starring Minnie Driver, Ian Holm, Isabella Rossellini, Tony Shalhoub, and Stanley Tucci. The image shows all of the above minus Holm sitting at a dinner table, in a white-bordered photograph with a fork sticking through it.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 26/03/2025

Timeline cleanse: The fabled three-toed pooper (nickname is a whole other story), looking regal. Pixel is 14 years old and the sweetest soul this earth has ever known.

A picture of our one-eyed, 14-year-old calico mix, Pixel. She’s sitting on a cabinet with one of her back paws positioned alongside her front two, making it look like she has three big, white, fluffy toes front and center. To the right, blurred by iPhone’s portrait mode, is the tail end of a gold triceratops. I won’t be taking questions at this time.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 21/03/2025

I got a lot of real and valuable work done this week, but I know for sure that my top accomplishment was sending a serious Slack thread right off the rails by using a favorite reaction emoji and then just watching a deep discussion of "Big Enough" spiral and grow in the most wonderful way.

A closeup of the screaming cowboy from Kirin J Callinan's music video for the song Big Enough. The cowboy (Jimmy Barnes) is holding the brim of his white cowboy hat, his eyes are closed, and his mouth is open as he is mid scream. It is the source image of my second-favorite, but most-often-used Slack emjoi.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 01/03/2025

Describe your account in one Simpsons image

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 16/02/2025

I am so with you on this.

Screen grab from The Simpsons, showing Ralph Wiggum, dressed as a Canadian Mountie, singing the opening line of the Canadian national anthem.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 14/02/2025

In the grand scheme of things -- and especially right now -- this is a tiny, utterly insignificant thing, but I have to say it does feel good to have finally completed the tutorial.

A screenshot from Warframe, showing my frame (Caliban, in the conquistador-like Orfeo skin) kneeling down after completing the Mastery Rank 30 test.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 29/01/2025

Not sure I'm the real audience for this, but why not: Alright, what's your #comicsdna? The comics and books that were formative to you. At least four, more if you're nasty.

Cover image of Pacific Comics' 1st issue of "The Rocketeer / The Mission Man"

Cover image of Eagle Comics' 1st issue of Judge Dredd

Cover image of Marvel Comics' The Uncanny X-Men issue 266, which features the first appearance of Gambit

Cover image of the first issue for Malibu Comics' Ultraverse title Firearm

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 14/01/2025

Obligatory Sam Darnold post for the evening…

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 24/12/2024

“You will be visited by three spirits.” The three spirits:

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 22/12/2024

Me after sleeping in, turning on the Spurs match a bit late and seeing the halftime score...

Animated clip from the Simpsons showing Abe walking into the burlesque house, seeing Bart as the bouncer, and walking back out again.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 21/12/2024

Excellent opportunity to share the best forbidden whiteboard photo from my time in that office. The very first concept art of Praksis from Beyond Light, courtesy of the excellent Jami Jeffcoat.

A whiteboard drawing from an early boss design brainstorm for Praksis the Technocrat, for Destiny 2: Beyond Light. He’s smiling and looks like he’s holding 3 balloons (but he’s actually juggling 3 grenades with one hand).

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 15/12/2024

Game devs, post your first shipped game and your latest shipped game.

Cover art for the (original) Xbox game Dead Man's Hand, a first-person shooter set in the American West. The game was released in 2004.

Key art for the Witch Queen DLC for Destiny 2, released in 2021.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 15/12/2024

I feel this. Here is a picture of Pixel scream-yawning to distract and comfort you.

My calico cat Pixel, sitting on a high-top table, under a hanging tray covered in green plants and a small golden metal Triceratops, in the middle of a huge yawn that makes it look like she is screaming.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 14/12/2024

Seeing this on a Slack thread today got me extra ready for a little extended time off to recharge the batteries... 😅

Screen capture of the reply count on a Slack discussion thread that reads "251 replies."

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 30/11/2024

Best Thanksgiving gift ever.

Photo of a flower arrangement - pink and yellow and dark red mums, carnations, and wildflowers - in a Mason jar wrapped in brown paper, with the hand-written message “Sofa King Thankful.”

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 23/11/2024

For some reason (seriously I have no idea why), I decided to try to revive my original Zune. Seemed completely dead for a long while, but eventually charged up and it still seems to work perfectly. Figured no better way to test it than with some @thelongestjohns.bsky.social.

A photo of a brown Zune 30 (released in 2006) playing the song 'The Llandoger' by The Longest Johns (released in 2024).

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 04/11/2024

Guy rang our doorbell today, going door to door canvassing to ask if people have voted already, but he totally lost his train of thought and instead asked “Are those mushrooms REAL??” The mushrooms in question:

Photo of seven mushrooms on our lawn. They are known as fly agaric or fly amanita and have bright red caps, white stalks, and white spots. The largest is approximately 5 inches across.

Closeup photo of 3 mushrooms on our lawn. They are known as fly agaric or fly amanita and have bright red caps, white stalks, and white spots. These 3 are still mostly round and have not yet had their caps spread out and flatten.

Photo of a single fly agaric or fly amanita mushroom, with the signature bright red cap and white stalk, but not having much in the way of white spots. This one is approximately 3 inches across.

Photo of two fly agaric or fly amanita mushrooms on our lawn, growing very close together. They each have their signature bright red caps, white stalks, and white spots. Their caps are in the process of flattening, and together the two are approximately 6 inches across.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 25/10/2024

Coming online every single morning as a West Coast remote employee of an East Coast studio.

A screen capture of the iPhone app icon for Slack, with a red badge indicating 46 unread messages.

A screen capture from the movie Midnight Run, showing Agent Alonzo Mosely sitting in a diner, looking up at two other agents about to give him bad news. The caption reads "Is this going to upset me?"

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 21/10/2024

Bluesky, please wish this beautiful pup a happy birthday. Jessie turned 12 today and is just as gentle, loving, energetic, and wonderful as she was when we drove 4 hours in the aftermath of a terrible blizzard to adopt her as a 1 1/2 year old rescue.

Jessie, a 12-year-old Catahoula Leopard Dog, sitting on a cream-colored couch, cuddled up with her favorite blankets and trying very hard not to make eye contact with the camera.

A picture of one-and-a-half-year-old Jessie the Catahoula Leopard Dog, also on a couch, though this one is grey and she is making direct eye contact with the camera with her bewitching eyes, probably wondering why we haven't given her a blanket or two to cuddle with for this photo.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 19/10/2024

Advertise your account with one image (image credit Reza Farazmand, who I don't think is over here yet)

A comic drawn by Reza Farazmand, showing a happy fellow wearing a hat, strolling along with a smile on his face. The caption for the image reads "On my way to make things worse."

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 03/10/2024

In a work meeting that is draining my life essence with each passing minute. Let's get several dozen people together then go line by line through a horribly formatted Excel sheet and talk about risks.

Just a graphic riffing on the old "The More You Know" design with text over a shooting star, but the message now reads "When WIll This Nightmare Be Over."

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 29/09/2024

For the first time in forever, I actually dragged my hermit self to a concert, finally getting a chance to see @thelongestjohns.bsky.social live at The Crocodile here in Seattle. It was an absolute blast - cannot wait to see these wonderful folks again!

A photo of The Longest Johns performing on stage at The Crocodile in Seattle.

Another image of The Longest Johns on stage in Seattle, zoomed in a little bit to focus on the three members of the band, Robbie Sattin, Andy Yates, and Jonathan "JD" Darley (from left to right).

A photo of The Longest Johns' JD Darley, on stage, looking at the rest of the band and wearing a tricorn hat leant to him by an audience member the band decided to refer to as Admiral Beavis McClunkington. A lone, potted palm tree (for morale) is pictured to JD's left.

Another image of The Longest Johns on stage in Seattle, this time playing an encore and performing Retirement Song as their final song of the show.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 22/09/2024

Sometimes she prefers sitting by our side door.

Another picture of my Catahoula Leopard Dog Jessie, this time sitting on the little porch by our side door, but still looking out over the neighborhood and judging.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 21/09/2024

Becoming a bit of an end of day ritual to just sit on the front steps with Jesssie.

A picture of my (almost) 12-year-old Catahoula Leopard Dog Jessie, who is sitting on our front porch with her paws on the step below, gazing out at the neighborhood, likely judging people.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 20/09/2024

Everyone, this is Charlie. He’s the extremely outgoing, outdoor neighborhood cat who comes to our place almost daily because we’re suckers and he gets lots of treats.

An orange cat named Charlie, who is sitting on a couch cushion on my front porch, staring intently at my wife who is coming through the front door with a jar of Greenie’s cat dental treats (not in the picture).

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 15/09/2024

This is always so difficult for me, but... Here's my #GameDevDNA, four video games that inspired me on my journey.

Opening menu screen from the Commodore 64 version of the video game Elite, showing the default starter ship spinning in space and a prompt asking the player if they want to start a new commander (game).

A screenshot of the Commodore 64 version of the Ozark Softscape game Seven Cities of Gold, showing the player's ship near the coast of the new world, having just discovered a river for the first time.

A gameplay screenshot of the Raven Software video game Hexen, Beyond Heretic, showing the player as a mage casting a lighting attack against approaching monsters.

A screenshot from Bethesda's Morrowind showing the starting town, a few NPCs, and the big strider bug thing that you could use as transport from town to town (I think).

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 05/01/2024

Jessie has decided that there will be no more video games tonight. 🥺

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 05/12/2023

Your friend looks like my friend. ❤️

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 02/12/2023

I’m struggling with how hard Shane MacGowan’s death is hitting me. Harder than losses that really should have destroyed me. I’m so glad I got to see him and The Pogues live back in 2009. Just an amazing songwriter and performer.

A screen capture from The Pogues’ music video for the song Fiesta, with Shane MacGowan (RIP) standing in font of fireworks wearing a tuxedo and dark shades

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 28/10/2023

How I feel every time I mow our terrible, terrible lawn.

Clip from The Simpsons with Bart saying he feels the opposite of shame. But not pride, just less shame.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 30/09/2023

I absolutely love the tiny little bits of storytelling in Wildermyth. One of my all-time favorite games.

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Mike Ryan @bitterfish.com · 26/08/2023

Ohhhhhh… Now I get it…

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