iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

At various stages of my life, I have listed Brazil and The Firemen's Ball as my favourite movies. I also massively enjoy the works of Charlie Kaufman. Most of all, I like when a director takes a massive swing and knows they are gonna piss off a minimum of 50% of the audience. So I liked Digger.

Mike lore: I said that Birdman was going to be on the Leaving Cert curriculum because it was so genius in my school yearbook in 2015, this is a nice closing of the loop (I don't think that about Birdman anymore, thank god)

Went to college in UL and it always struck me that there is no cinema in Limerick city centre. There are chain cinemas near the colleges, but nothing like the Lighthouse. There was a monthly series at the Belltable and it was in association with the IFI. Big missed opportunity

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Ryan @ryanwright.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I spend a good chunk of my week in the Lighthouse between press screenings and generally just checking something out (usually a cooler older movie they program). Glad to hear it's doing well enough that they are looking to add extra screens!

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Reposted by Mike Finnerty

This is how I remember the order of Henry VIII’s wives.

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Paris Marx @parismarx.com · 24/09/2026

Just when I think I can’t hate OpenAI and Sam Altman any more, new details come out about how ChatGPT helped a shooter plan one of the worst mass shootings in Canadian history in Tumbler Ridge, BC. OpenAI made an explicit decision not to report the user to authorities.

motherjones.com

ChatGPT helped the Tumbler Ridge school shooter focus on guns, tactics, and terror, our investigation reveals

OpenAI’s chatbot fed the shooter’s violent fantasies and planning up to the massacre.

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Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

You would wonder how Stormont, as we currently know it, can survive a new form of unionist politics that has no interest in playing ball and compromising. Since Brexit, unionists have gone down the Trump route of treating democracy as optional. Nationalists have shown a willingness to engage.

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Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Spoiler alert for my readers: there is a very good chance I name this as my year-end number one in December

Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

We lost to Kosovo so the entire Nations League campaign is a wash anyway. It's such a mickey mouse league we could lose all of our games (or get a 6 points deduction) and we'd get put into a relegation play-off (which we'd have a chance of winning).

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Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Me popping back onto Bluesky to find the timeline lit up

Krusty saying "hey, hey! I'm back in Galway for the weekend, did I miss aanything?"

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Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Premier League winning manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 🥲

Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWKz... Babe, wake up, the David Letterman Youtube channel has uploaded 3 and a half hours of 1983 interviews

youtube.com

1983’s Most Remarkable Guests on Letterman | David Letterman

YouTube video by Letterman

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Coyote vs. LinkedIn @knabewolf.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

They doxxed the fucking Prodigy crab

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jon christian @jonchristian.net · 22/09/2026

it melts my brain that Meta is blocking ads that even engage with feminism while allowing AI slop of children getting horribly beaten futurism.com/artificial-i...

futurism.com

Meta Now Banning Ads That Promote Feminism

The parent company behind Facebook and Instagram is prohibiting ads promoting a theatrical adaptation of a Virginia Woolf novel.

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Aidan O’Brien @aidanobrien.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Just to clarify what is happening here. Danny Tommo livestreamed his attack on multiple social media platforms where he benefits from various forms of content monesitation and revenue sharing schemes. Not only did Danny financial benefit from this crime, but Google, Meta & X shared in the profits.

Danny Thomas verified Digital creator account

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Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

"Every single household in this country is facing rocketing energy prices because of Trump’s bloody warmongering" - Donald Trump paid Dublin a visit recently; the reception was anything but warm dublinpeople.com/news/dublin/...

"Donald we've prepared a special Irish welcome for you - fuck off home"

"Wrong Island, Now Leave," photo of Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump

"You can't buy your way out of the Epstein files"

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Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Not quite as good as Weapons or Barbarian (it trades suspense and build-up for jokes), but I really liked Resident Evil. Review is online now. dublinpeople.com/news/arts-cu...

dublinpeople.com

Alive and kicking: Resident Evil is the jolt the zombie genre needed

Resident Evil is the kick up the arse the zombie genre needed, according to our review

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Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

They said it couldn't be done

Acting the Fulemin @actingthefulemin.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Reposted by Mike Finnerty

there are 70 million people for whom this is the biggest song in the world. they watch comedies called like "Wives of Jim" that have run for nine seasons. they're usually pretty affable in person. in 2024 they severed the fate of humanity because of egg prices

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Bryan Blessed @bryb.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

This picture of the Pope at his 40th birthday party is everything to me.x

The Pope at his crazy as fuck 40th birthday party wearing a tiny sea captain hat, holding a tiny ice cream surrounded by THREE sad looking balloons. He's wearing a blue jacket and jeans with a brown belt and he's got a navy polo shirt on.

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Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

After years of threatening to do a Jean-Luc Godard (be a critic who writes a screenplay), I have done just that. Here is the cover page for my screenplay, Unconventional. 139 pages, a real deal, properly formatted, shot composition, slugline screenplay.

The cover page for my screenplay, Unconventional. All 139 pages of it, PDF'd!

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Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

With Resident Evil doing well at the box office and with critics, it is high time that Hollywood adapts Time Crisis into a movie.

Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Truth might be stranger than fiction on this one, especially with both parties stagnant in polls. Same thing happened in the Netherlands recently, they merged, and they are top of the polls. Wrote about if the Dutch merger could be a merger for Irish Labour/Greens dublinpeople.com/news/dublin/...

dublinpeople.com

Watermelon Party: Dutch merger could be guide for Labour/Greens

Labour and the Greens have recently merged in the Netherlands - would a similar merger make sense in the Irish political system?

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Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I'm not saying that Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler is young, but he was literally born the same week that No Limit by 2 Unlimited was number one

static.klipy.com

2 Unlimited - No Limit (Official Music Video)

ALT: 2 Unlimited - No Limit (Official Music Video)

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Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

For a man who claims to be a lifelong fan of our club, he has a piss poor understanding of its values. Does he forget it was a club founded by railway workers? Or that Matt Busby took part in the general strike of 1926? Or that Alex Ferguson was a union shop steward in the factory he worked in?

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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Why does the BBC have as one of its lead news stories this morning another Britain-hating interview with Jim 'the UK has been colonised by immigrants' Ratcliffe? What public interest is this serving?

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Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Every night is Culture Night when you are from Galway 😎

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"A quick look at tomorrow's headlines.."

Chris Morris reading a newspaper on The Day Today

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RTÉ has confirmed that Ireland will not take part in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, saying "Ireland’s participation cannot be justified given the appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza"

RTÉ is today confirming that its position regarding participation in the Eurovision Song Contest remains unchanged. RTÉ will not participate in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, nor will RTÉ broadcast the competition.

RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation cannot be justified given the appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk. RTÉ also remains deeply concerned by the continued denial of independent access to international journalists to the territory.”

Less Ed Sheeran on the radio is good under any circumstances but I draw the line at stuff that came out post 2011 being played on a "Classic Hits" station

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I've been writing about this in recent weeks, but Facebook is just as reactionary and populist as Twitter. Both companies have European HQ's here in Dublin, but FF/FG don't want to scare away the corporate tax sacred cow. They think revenue is more important than social cohesion.

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Had a great time with Resident Evil. Feels more indebted to After Hours, of all things, than the games but that isn't a bad thing in my book. Zach Cregger is maybe the successor to Wes Craven in terms of having a massive build up and then releasing the valve in a satisfying way

Putting it on the record now - there is no way I will hate Resident Evil. Weapons is one of my favourite ever press screenings and I was doing cartwheels coming out of it. I'm all in on whatever Cregger does. I've also played Resident Evil 4 like a dozen times from start to finish

Multimedia screening of Resident Evil, put on by the good folks at Sony

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Pressure joins the Dad Cinema hall of fame

In movie news: I quite liked Pressure. Very solid World War 2 process movie. Will probably be best enjoyed at home with your dad, with the volume set to 94 and the contrast all out of wack. dublinpeople.com/news/arts-cu...

dublinpeople.com

Starring Dublin's own Andrew Scott, Pressure is a worthy addition to the World War 2 "dad cinema" genre

The optics of the government paying €505 million to end the fuel protests because they didn't want to be yelled at by Facebook populists, but claiming there is no money when public transport fares go up... to quote Mad Men "not great, Bob!"

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Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Six have withdrawn as a support act for Ed Sheeran's tour.

The pop band Six (sans Nadine Coyle, making her a Gemini)

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Very excited for The Insider or Network style film about the arse falling off this Ed Sheeran tour

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The Author, Séamas O'Reilly @seamas.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Occasionally, I'm reminded of my all time favourite piece of internet: this Reddit post from 12 years ago in which a guy claims he ruined dinner with his girlfriend's parents by refusing to admit he knew what a potato was.

TIFU by enraging the parents of my girlfriend by pretending not to know what a potato is.
Let me tell you that I have made a bad mistake this evening.

My girlfriend (who let me tell you is only my 2nd girlfriend of all time) said I am "invited to dinner" with her and her parents. I was very aghast, nervous, and bashful to be invited to such a situation. But I knew it must be done.

I met them nicely, I should tell you, and it started off in a good way. The idea slapped my mind that I should do a comic bit, to make a good impression and become known to them as a person who is amusing.

When I saw that baked potatoes were served I got the idea that it would be very good if I pretended I did not know what potatoes was. That would be funny.

Well let me tell you: backfired on my face. I'll tell you how.

So first when the potato became on my plate, I acted very interesting. I showed an expression on my face so as to seem that I was confused, astounded but in a restrained way, curious, and interested. They did notice, and seemed confused, but did not remark. So I asked "This looks very interesting. What is this?"

They stared at me and the mother said "It's a baked potato." And I was saying "Oh, interesting, a baked....what is it again?"

And she was like "A potato."

And I was like "A 'potato', oh interesting. Never heard of a potato, looks pretty good."

And then they didn't see I was clowning, but thought I really did not know what is a potato. So I knew I would be very shamed, humiliated, depressed, and disgusted if I admitted to making a bad joke, so what I did was to act as if it was not a joke but I committed to the act of pretending I didn't know what a potato is.

They asked me, VERY incredulous, did I really not know what a potato is? That I never heard of a potato. I went with it and told them, yes, I did not ever even hear of a potato. Not only had I never eaten a potato I had never heard the word potato.

This went on for a bit and my girlfriend was acting very confused and embarrassed by my "fucked up antics", and then the more insistent I was about not knowing what a potato is was when them parents starting thinking I DID know what a potato was.

Well let me tell you I had to commit 100% at this point. When I would not admit to knowing what a potato was, the father especially began to get annoyed. At one point he said something like "Enough is enough. You're fucking with us. Admit it." And I said "Sir, before today I never heard of a potato. I still don't know what a potato is, other than some kind of food. I don't know what to tell you."

Well let me tell you he got very annoyed. I decided to take a bite of the potato, and when I did I made a high pitched noise and said "Taste's very strange!"

That is when the father started yelling at me, and the mother kept saying "What are you doing?" and my girlfriend went to some other room.

Finally the father said I should "Get the fuck out of his house" and I said it was irrational to treat me like this just because I never heard of a potato before. Well let me tell you he didn't take that kindly.

Now in text messages I have been telling my girlfriend I really don't know what a potato is. The only way I can ever get out of this is for them to buy that I don't know what a potato is.

I wish I never started it but I can't go back. I think she will break up with me anyway.

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Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

As someone who has hated Ed Sheeran's music since 2011, the real-time downfall of him has been gratifying to watch. Massive respect to Mackelmore, putting his principles over the bottom line

Tim Robinson saying "I've been waiting a long time for a hit on Corncob TV!"

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Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Labour TD Ciáran Ahern has sent in a statement criticising the Irish government for seemingly agreeing to a deal with the Trump administration to import fracked gas from the US, but there's a very interesting nugget in there that sounds more like a statement from People Before Profit than Labour.

“The climate crisis should have been top of the agenda for the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU. Instead, their focus is on further embedding and accelerating the neoliberal economic order which has driven so much of the harm that’s been done to our environments, ecosystems and climate," he said.

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Mike Finnerty @mikecjf.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

When I need to run on the treadmill I need to watch something to help my ADHD-riddled brain break through "the wall". So for me, it is niche football documentaries that do the trick. Remember that time Felix Magath told Brede Hangeland to rub cheese on his thigh when it was injured?

YouTube video by ColPac "Felix Magath: The Premier League's Strangest Manager"

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Independent Senator Alice-Mary Higgins has said "no to your dirty LNG gas, no to your data centres, no to your AI, no to your algorithms that enable fascism" and that the Irish government needs to stand up to the Trump administration

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Labour TD Ciáran Ahern has said that he is "disgusted" that the "red carpet has been rolled out for a fascist like Donald Trump" and that the government are "actively encouraging his corruption", saying "this is a brown envelope on a global scale"

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Social Democrats Senator Patricia Stephenson has said that "Donald Trump is no friend of Ireland - no matter how many golf courses he owns in this country" and said that Trump is solely responsible for higher energy prices for Irish households this winter

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