iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 19h

Game design. I could still try it out with the breadth of tools available today, but my currently-unmedicated ass can't imagine doing so effectively. I think I'm better suited to writing, which is what I do.

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Sascha Stronach🏳️‍⚧️, The Sunforge out now @understatesmen.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

I've said it before, but snark is insecure and defensive. "I'm worried you're going to laugh at me, so I'm doing it first. Aren't I silly? Haha because I'm in on the joke it hurts less." fuck that, be earnest, be real, let yourself matter

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Quelaag @quelaag.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

I have been away from the internet for most of the day and holy moly

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John Wiswell @wiswell.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I am in competition with other authors in the same way a wounded man is in competition with medics.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

That was one of the most exciting episodes of #CriticalRole in a long time, oh my god. Especially given the last couple Schemer episodes, the stakes felt both high and incredibly precarious, holy shit.

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Ryan Hollinger @ryanhollinger.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Lads, a reminder:

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I don't know if it's just me being tired, but this Anna is unreasonably pretty to me. I don't know why. I'm so upset I'm not going to be able to play Fortune's Weave for like, 6 months 😭 I've been looking forward to new Fire Emblem for years, and Engage didn't quite hit the way I wanted it to.

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Haus of Decline @hausofdecline.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Folk music is drastically increasing in popularity. Prepare for an apocalyptic recession.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I don't care if it's a meme, I want a Star Wars world in the next Kingdom Hearts game. You cannot tell me that Anakin/Vader's ENTIRE DEAL doesn't fit PERFECTLY into the emotional and thematic space Kingdom Hearts thrives in. I want to duel Darth Vader with a Keyblade, god damn it.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

I have plotted out the climax of the book. I have two, at most three, more chapters to plot out before I have a full complete outline of the book. I'm almost done with the hard work of writing the story. I can start actually telling it soon.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

I'm mad about how good Smoking Behind The Supermarket With You is. It's smoking propaganda with a core duo written with great charisma, and I love watching every week... It's just also smoking propaganda 😭

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

A man finds out he's adopted and gets really upset about what that means.

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psudonym @psudonym.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Thank you, Eeyore.

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Indrapramit Das @indrapramitdas.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Baraa is appealing to everyone to please help Ibrahim. Bluesky has severely restricted her--she can't message people or comment, she's constantly deleted, and exhausted from making new accounts. She has no reach, & is unable to secure funds for Ibrahim's survival. Please share widely & donate:

chuffed.org

I Lost My Daughters to War and Hunger. Please Help Me Save Ibrahim, My Last Living Child"

My name is Bara'a, and I am writing to you from the depths of an unimaginable nightmare. I am a mother whose heart has been shattered into pieces, and today, I am reaching out to the world in a desper...

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Who do I have to bribe or suck off to get ME3's multiplayer added to the Legendary Edition on PC? Hmm? Hmm? Let me relive some of the best multiplayer of my high school years.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

My MC, Eckhart, starts the story fundamentally incapable of using magic and manipulating asmer, and this block is the outward manifestation of his character arc over the course of the book. He has to learn to have faith in himself and his own agency (and consequences) before he can progress.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

So much of my entire life goes back to this book. It wouldn't be the one that inspired me to write on my own--at least, not by itself--but it was a set of stories that embraced whimsy, creative solutions, and showed me dragons as friends and wonders, not adversaries to be slain. Formative stuff.

The cover the the compendium book, "Three Tales of My Father's Dragon", by Ruth Stiles Gannett. It depicts a boy and a dragon hugging as friends. The boy is shown with tanned or brown skin wearing a red and white striped shirt, red socks, brown shoes, blue shorts, and a blue and white cap. The dragon is shown covered in blue and yellow stripes, with golden wings, red horns, red claws, and a small crest of red spines on his head and upper neck. Behind them is a black background with golden stars lightly scattered around them.

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mcoorlim is developing Torchlike @mcoorlim.com · 25/08/2026

The powerful response to the loss of a guiding light is to take the burden of radical compassion upon yourself. Be a point of light in this demon-haunted world.

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Alex Zalben @azalben.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Here's the official announcement of Parton's passing from her reps, along with the request that in lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com

NASHVILLE, TN (August 25, 2026) – Global icon and humanitarian, Dolly Parton, known to the world as a beloved singer, songwriter, philanthropist, actress, playwright, and author died peacefully today in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 80 years old.

Dolly is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 59 years Carl Thomas Dean (1942 – 2025), her mother Avie Lee Caroline Owens (1923 – 2003), and father, Robert Lee Parton, Sr. (1921 – 2000).

A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family. Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience. With a seven-decade career, she inspired multiple generations of artists and fans with her music and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact.

At Dolly’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family. Dolly’s fans and friends from around the world are encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media by tagging @DollyParton or by leaving a message at www.dollyparton.com.

In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com.

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Anna Holmes @annabookwriter.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Please please support Imagination Library. I have met children who only owned books because of it. Families who learned to read together. And please support your local music education initiatives. Dolly got instruments in kids’ hands and paid their way into contests without even telling the kids.

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Alex Zalben @azalben.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Dolly Parton, among a thousand other amazing things she did in her life, gifted over 330 million books to kids through her Imagination Library program. Her passing is a tremendous loss to the world, but you can support the program today to keep it going imaginationlibrary.com

imaginationlibrary.com

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library | USA, UK, IE, CA, AU

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free books to children from birth until they begin school in participating areas.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

I'd love to know what a true hypomanic phase feels like, but no, all I get are depressive runs and fucking MIXED PHASES. Miserable feelings

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LaurenWalshArt @laurenwalshart.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Repost if your account is a safe place for the trans community 🩵🩷🤍

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

The churches and cathedrals of the Church Ascendant are community gathering locations for worship of the Goddess Aruha and the recommitment of their personal goals/obligations. These are tonally resonant and acoustic spaces with art that is patterned and geometric, representing the chorus of life

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Scott Lynch @scottlynch78.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

If I want to start arguments I sometimes say that science fiction isn't a literature of prediction, it's a literature of extrapolated consequences. If it's 1890, "in the future there will be cars" is boring-ass mere prediction. "Because of cars there will be vast traffic jams" is extrapolation. 🧵

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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 20/08/2026

One thing I wish people would realize is just how central JK Rowling is to the entire anti-trans ecosystem. Looking at a network node analysis of the top 200 anti-trans X accounts, she is the most central figure spanning both sides of the Atlantic from Republicans to Labour.

A network graph visualization on a dark background showing connections between various accounts. The central, highly connected node is labeled "J.K. Rowling," with lines radiating out to many other nodes color-coded by region (UK, US, etc.). A detail panel on the right displays stats for her account, including her role as "Author & commentator," an in-degree of 153, an out-degree of 84, and 14 million followers.

A scatter plot graph on a dark background comparing accounts based on "followers (log)" on the x-axis and "in-degree" on the y-axis. The data points are color-coded by region. J.K. Rowling is highlighted as a major outlier in the top right corner, possessing the highest number of followers and the highest in-degree. Other labeled points lower on the graph include various politicians, individuals, and campaign organizations.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Any time I was trying to explain why I did or thought the things I did, I was treated like I was trying to weasel out of responsibility or consequences. Also, whenever I needed to know why something was a certain way, or why I had to obey someone, that was treated as if I was just causing problems.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I cannot lie, there's nothing quite as satisfying as getting a full-Analyze parry in Nightreign against a boss that's otherwise an unparryable pain in the rear. I see your ulcerated tree sprit, and I raise you getting owned with facts and logic actually

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Eowyrms and the dragons they become, are born in Asmer fields regularly reinforced by rituals and experiences and shared communal intent. The repeated patterns become a circuit and container within the asmer, animated by the intent carried within. In a real way, they are living dreams, our own gods.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I've made the (un)fortunate realization that I can both answer and expound on some questions and problems regarding my WIP's institutional religion in a way that's interesting and plays into the themes and plot. The problem is now I feel like I can't continue writing the story until that's done.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Asmerists come in two dominant flavors: Affaraon-trained mages, and the Meisters and Augurs of the Church Ascendant. They use the same magical foundation, but approach it differently and use different tools to get into the required trance state to manipulate asmer.

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Yaroslav Barsukov #NoToWar #НетВойне @barsukov.com · 17/08/2026

AI RANT Following the cancellation of three major debut book deals over AI suspicions, I decided to put my own (needless to say, 100% human-written) prose to the test. My detector of choice was Originality AI, and the results proved to be jarring, to say the least. 🧵1/5

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

"Smoking Behind The Supermarket With You" is smoking propaganda, but it's well-written propaganda built around grounded characters with good chemistry, so it's really fun. It's nice to dip into slice of life-y anime from time to time, amidst all the noise.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Full-length FFXIV animated series, fuck you, fight me.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Magic in my WIP is definitely soft. It's manipulating the energy field created as a byproduct of sentient experiences (qualia), and is linked to memory and intent. These Asmer fields can be primed and triggered in a cascade, thus "spells". There is older "true magic", but it's...different.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Genuinely, I think one of the largest problems most leftists have that stands in the way of positive change and the effective dispersal of key ideas is devastatingly simple to describe: a lot of the most vocal leftists (especially online) are, interpersonally, annoying and insufferable assholes.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Dragons used to be plentiful, magic used to be more powerful, and the Eighth House used to exist on the surface of Keusana. But the war following the Imperial collapse led to works of magic so consequential that they stifle the flow of it to this day, with only a valley of graves to remember them.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

I committed the cardinal sin of putting the monthly flea medicine goop on my dog, so now I get to be emotionally destroyed by the most betrayed set of brown eyes imaginable for the next 24 hours.

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

The Founding Mother of the Church Ascendant was a real woman from a region now recognized as one of the core Regencies of the Republic. She went on a syncretic pilgrimage around the continent and came back at the head of a nascent religion, unaware of her preexisting ties to the deity she "found".

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

I'm still in a writing slump, but from the depths of impostor syndrome came a revelation; today I was gifted with the sauce, a deepening of the core thematic questions that drive the story over the long term. It's not philosophy-degree tier, but I am excited about exploring it all.

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Chase Taylor-Carter @chasecarter.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Some radical transparency: we may only have a year left at our current pace. If you'd like to help us survive to reach our full potential, consider subscribing, donating, or buying a gift subscription.

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Indrapramit Das @indrapramitdas.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Baraa's lost 2 baby daughters to Israel's genocide--you can help keep her son alive. She urgently needs 500 euros to rent a place to stay under a roof instead of a tent until Ibrahim can recover from a severe fever. They're suffering from heat exhaustion, scarce clean water, starvation, & illness:

chuffed.org

I Lost My Daughters to War and Hunger. Please Help Me Save Ibrahim, My Last Living Child"

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

I find myself wondering if the soul-sucking contract work I do as a job right now is part of why it's been so slow and hard to actually create lately. Like it's sapping away the energy I'd otherwise use writing my own works.

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Alexander Chee @alexanderchee.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

‘Anthropic described the project as “our effort to disruptively scan all the world’s books” in an internal memo, which noted “we do not want it to be known that we are pursuing this project”.’

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Calen Bender Mornden @mandokarla.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

I know this is just impostor syndrome posting, but it's genuinely discouraging for me to follow so many talented writers and see just how much more productive they are than I am, at least publicly. It feels counterintuitively discouraging to be connected to the writing space. Maybe I should cut free

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