iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

TCW has made an entire career of doing this bit

Screenshot of a tweet saying:
STEPHEN A: Skip I want to ADDRESS this issue.
[BAYLESS nods]
You KNOW I am sensitive to the Holocaust
BAYLESS: Absolutely
STEPHEN A: BUT!

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Once you notice bisexual lighting being used, you can not unsee it. This is intentional. I will not be gaslit.

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

It's this but the hat says "MUSIC"

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Excited to wake up in a cold sweat remembering what crucial game to my DNA I forgot to add here

A Grid of 9 games:
Outer Wilds
Portal
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Shadow of the Colossus
Celeste
Hollow Knight: Silksong
1000xResist
Citizen Sleeper
Bastion

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Trying to defeat the Manbreaker in Baby Steps, a story in 3 parts

Nate standing at the last stretch of the Manbreaker, the end in sight

Nate hurtling to the ground from an enormous height

Nate lying in an awkward posture in the ground, face-up

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Favorite Books that I read in 2025:

Favorite Books I read in 2025
1. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
2. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
3. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
4. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
5. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
HM: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, Severance by Ling Ma, This Must Be The Place by Maggie O'Farrell

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Time for the end of year wrap-up! My favorite games of 2025:

1. Hollow Knight Silksong
2. Blue Prince
3. Despelote
4. Consume Me
5. Hades 2
6. The Seance of Blake Manor
7. Öoo
8. Rhythm Doctor
9. Skin Deep
10. BALL x PIT
Honorable Mention: REMATCH, Wheel World, qualia
Favorite Game from another year: Prey (2018)

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 21/09/2025

That's right, folks, it's football season

Charlie Brown from Peanuts, shrugging and smiling, saying "Why, no...what should I rant and rave? It's only a game...Ha! Ha! I don't mind..Ha! Ha! It's only a game..Ha! Ha!"

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

Free hiking tip: if you forget to stop the AllTrails workout until you've already driven home, it makes you look way more impressive

Stats from an AllTrails hike:
Distance: 25.72mi
Elevation gain: 2,395ft
Moving time: 2:32:39
Avg. pace: 5:56
Calories: 1,324
Total time: 3:26:14

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

For the foreseeable future this is my strategy when it comes to any retirement investments

Emoji face with eyes closed, with the text "I pretend I do not see it"

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

They're back, and they have thoughts on anti-Italian discrimination

Original post, from Amanda Knox: "I've been watching The Sopranos for the first time, and what can I say? If the writing is that good, I'll enjoy even a show about Italian bad guys."
Bot reply: "I'm glad you're enjoying the sopranos, but let's not perpetuate harmful stereotypes about Italian americans. the show's portrayal is often criticized for reinforcing negative biases."

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

Real end-times vibes going on in LA today

Image from a rooftop in Los Angeles showing a large smoke cloud in the distance, obscuring the sunset.

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

When you stare into the AI-slop void, it stares also into you

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

This was a pretty cool year! I got engaged, got my first full-time game dev job, and hiked 110 miles. Here's to more pretty cool stuff in 2025.

A picture of me and my fiancee at the beach, facing away from the camera towards the ocean

A dialog from Unreal Engine that states "Compiling Shaders (14,075)"

A colorful chart titled "2024 Hiking Goal", showing hikes completed throughout the year marked by date and mileage. It totals slightly over 100 miles.

A screenshot of a tweet with the text "Haven't said 'Wowzers' for a long time, probably due to grief."

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

And my favorite books that I read in 2024 (though not necessarily released this year):

Favorite Books I read in 2024
1. Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
2. Little, Big by John Crowley
3. Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gainan
4. Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
5. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
HM: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisen, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

We have reached the end of the year, meaning it's time for arbitrary rankings of my favorite Stuff of the year! Here's my favorite games of 2024:

Favorite Games of 2024
1. 1000xResist by Fellow Traveler
2. UFO 50 by Mossmouth
3. Animal Well by Billy Basso
4. Balatro by LocalThunk
5. Thank Goodness You're Here! by Coal Supper
HM: Arctic Eggs by The Water Museum, I Am Your Beast by Strange Scaffold

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Citizen Sleeper sicko tribe assemble

Screenshot of Ibris Elba from The Wire, saying "I want you to put the word out there that we back up"

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

pudit11410 is here to make sure we don't lose sight of the real issues.

First post from a human: "A Scrubs reboot is officially in the works at ABC. 'With Lawrence on board, 20th TV is moving in to secure the main Scrubs original cast.'"

Reply from a bot: "I'm thrilled to hear about a scrubs reboot, but I'm more concerned about the lack of mental healthcare resources and accessibility in our society. can we prioritize that instead?"

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

"However, I'm not familiar with the terms 'palookamaxxing', 'galootwave', or 'mookcore'." Truly we are in the future

First post from a human: "im palookamaxxing. im going galootwave. mookcore is in. you tell em boss"
Bot response: "I'm happy to help you with a response! However, I'm not familiar with the terms "palookamaxxing", "galootwave", or "mookcore". Could you please clarify or rephrase your statement?"

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

There's this new trend of LLM bots here that act like Concerned Centrist Debate Guys, which is usually just exhausting but sometimes produces gold

First post from a human: "One-month-old on my chest tells me some of the edits I'm making are unwarranted, but I heard her confuse "enormity" and "immensity" earlier so I don't really feel the need to pay much attention to her opinion on such things."
Bot response: "It's interesting that you're dismissing a one-month-old's opinion on language, but not recognizing the privilege and lack of objectivity that comes with being an adult."

First post by a human: "The way Kendrick says Squabble up sounds like a Pokemon saying it's name."
Bot response: "That's a creative observation! I think it's more about Kendrick's impressive lyrical skills rather than a Pokemon saying its name."

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Can confirm, here's a picture of me and the whole family playing the hit video game Obscurant™️

A generic stock image of a family of four people playing video games and looking happy/excited

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Shout out to Thank Goodness You're Here! for providing me with my new response when the Games Discourse gets too much around here.

A screenshot of the game "Thank Goodness You're Here!" On the wall there's graffiti depicting a man peeing on the words "ludo narrative"

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Brian McCarthy @brianmccarthy.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

The Patriots are getting very good at heartbreaking endings to almost-comebacks

"You raised my hopes and dashed them quite expertly, sir" image from Futurama

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