iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Mina Kimes @minakimes.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The problem isn’t that they’re moving past it—it’s that they’re trying to rehabilitate it. Would be better for everyone if people who don’t want to engage with the facts just talked about the play on the field and left it at that.

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Brian Grubb @briancgrubb.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

there are not a lot of songs about the love shack these days

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Adam @thefeenmachine.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Two of the four matchups feature the way lower payroll team HOSTING.

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Ken Tremendous @kentremendous.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

MLB Payroll Ranks in the Division Series: Rays (27) vs. Yankees (3) Braves (9) or Phillies (4) vs. Dodgers (1) Brewers (19) vs. Padres (8) ChiSox (26) vs. Guardians (29) But let's impose a salary cap so there can be parity!

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sammartinelli @sam-martinelli.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

My thoughts on Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave so far! Plus, I get to how FFX's politics resonate in the current moment. Check it out!

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The Punished Backlog @punishedbacklog.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

What if some of the "boring" tasks in Fortune's Weave were actually...good? @sam-martinelli.bsky.social makes the case for the grind being the POINT in the new Fire Emblem, as well as thoughts on FFX's politics and more in the latest Punished Notes! punishedbacklog.com/fire-emblem-...

punishedbacklog.com

In Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, the Grind Is the Point - The Punished Backlog

In Sam's latest Punished Notes, he covers the new Fire Emblem, has a few thoughts on Final Fantasy X (all these years later), and even a bit on... tapas?

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Charlie Warzel @cwarzel.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

There is a moment at the very very end of Abdul El-Sayed's podcast with Ezra Klein (book recommendation section) where he talks about the idea of "speaking truth to pain" and this will be staying with me for an extremely long time. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/25/o...

But there’s also something about truth to pain. We talk a lot about truth to power, but I think it’s actually a lot harder to speak truth to pain. I say that as someone who went to medical school, realizing that in a lot of our politics right now, we’ve got to get a lot better at speaking truth to pain if we’re going to get through some of these challenges that we have.

What does “truth to pain” mean?

It’s one thing to look power in the eye and say: You’re wrong about this. But there’s a way in which pain is very difficult to reason with. Because when somebody is in their pain, they’re in their trauma. They see that pain, and they may not see what’s causing it.

I remember just very explicitly being in a trauma ward with a gunshot wound patient and watching this big guy with his hand on his gunshot wound. All the folks are trying to pull his hand off his pain, that point of his gunshot wound, this clear vulnerability.

And this emergency room doctor had the presence of mind to be like: Everyone, stop. And she looks him in the eyes, and she’s like: I get that really hurts, and I’m so sorry that you’re here. You don’t want to be here. We don’t want you to be here. But if you don’t let us fix this, you could die. So I’m going to take your hand, and I’m going to move it off, OK? Because I need to get there so that you can live.

She was speaking truth to pain. He understands he’s at the hospital, he needs care, but he also doesn’t want anybody to touch the wound. Which is a natural thing. And I think it is a really great metaphor for how we think about a lot of these challenges we talked about today.

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amandatien.bsky.social @amandatien.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I will not apologize for how long I spent talking about Jennifer Hale's amazing work as FemShep in the Mass Effect series in the newest @punishedbacklog.bsky.social podcast episode re: video game main characters with @sam-martinelli.bsky.social . punishedbacklog.com/podcast-vide...

punishedbacklog.com

Podcast: Discussing Our Favorite Video Game Main Characters

In this podcast episode, we discuss video game protagonists. We debate create-a-character versus heroes and share our favorites.

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sammartinelli @sam-martinelli.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Everybody here talks way too much about things they say they don’t care about

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Harper Jay @dreamcastaway.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Taking some kind of psychic damage as I learn that Peter Fortune's Weave is voiced by the guy from Obsession.

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The Punished Backlog @punishedbacklog.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

In Donovan's Resident Evil (2026) movie review, learn why Zach Cregger's adaptation fails to emulate what the RE video games do best. punishedbacklog.com/resident-evi...

punishedbacklog.com

Resident Evil (2026) Movie Review: Don't Believe the Hype

In our Resident Evil (2026) movie review, learn why Zach Cregger's adaptation fails to emulate what the RE video games do best.

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Mina Kimes @minakimes.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The Good Life but it should be noted that every single song on this album is a banger

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sammartinelli @sam-martinelli.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

what a bozo, absolute clown shit

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sammartinelli @sam-martinelli.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

biggest problem with BOTW/TOTK: lack of a weird not-Ganon villain guy before you fight Ganon. Needed Ghirahim/Agahnim/Zant, etc.

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Rodger Sherman @rodger.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

People forget the Knicks won the NBA Championship

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gamera obscura @ohrobin.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

incredibly well-done resident evil teaser from a movie theater

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The Punished Backlog @punishedbacklog.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Upcoming indie horror games 👀 @blueridgehunting.com, Grave Seasons @perfectgarbage.bsky.social, Nowhere @midnightforge.bsky.social, Penguin Colony @origamedigital.bsky.social @fellowtraveller.games, Silver Pines @team17.com, Tenebris Somnia @newblood.games, Tom the Postgirl @artefr.bsky.social

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sammartinelli @sam-martinelli.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Name a non-LOTR character who could resist the One Ring

Steve Buscemi as Donny from The Big Lebowski

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sammartinelli @sam-martinelli.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

This gets something that has always bothered me as a NYer: most tragedies are about the specific place where it happened, but 9/11 became something that happened to ALL AMERICANS and not specifically NYC

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Rodger Sherman @rodger.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

anyway something that still bothers me is how the people who are/were loudest about Never Forgetting are often people who actively hate New York City and New Yorkers and spend the other 364 days of the year fighting against everything the city stands for

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sammartinelli @sam-martinelli.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

at the risk of sounding like a shill/fanboy...the thing that really sticks out about Nintendo especially now is that they actually release games, like, every single month. Not always a big deal (sometimes just Switch 2 Editions or whatever), but there's always *something* new and exclusive to play

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Razzball @razzball.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

now that you mention it, it does sound different

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sammartinelli @sam-martinelli.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Mike McCready rules for wearing that innocence project shirt

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Ash Parrish, Kotaku's LeBron James @adashtra.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I just want yall to know My Grand Kirby Theory Of Everything *continues* to be proven correct Whenever life gets bad, nintendo releases a kirby game. We got one last year, we're getting one again next year THEY FUCKING KNOW www.theverge.com/2022/7/12/23...

theverge.com

Kirby is always there for us

Kirby returns to remind us: “Life is short, eat the cake.”

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sammartinelli @sam-martinelli.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

fun fact: future SNL host Jalen Brunson was also awarded Finals MVP just a few months ago after winning an NBA Championship with the New York Knicks, which is something I think people need to be reminded of, just in case they haven't heard

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Jesse Hawken @jessehawken.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Any iPhone is foldable if you really try

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The Punished Backlog @punishedbacklog.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

"If you have any appreciation for art, cute animals, #cozygames, or a good puzzle, I truly cannot recommend Tukoni: Forest Keepers enough," writes Darcy Maunder. Read her review of Tukoni (dev: @dream-operator.bsky.social, pub #GamerSky) and more #indiegames at punishedbacklog.com/tukoni-fores...

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Jeff Grubb @grubb.wtf · 08/09/2026

oh, my god -- shut up

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sammartinelli @sam-martinelli.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

who in god's name thinks DON DRAPER is working class?!

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Grayson Morley @graysonmorley.com · 08/09/2026

Zelda looked pretty good to me, which is yet more proof that I’ve entered my Normie Era.

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Imran Khan @imrankhan.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I do think the most boring possible take is "Actually this was never good." Like, it may be sincere. And it may be true even! But goddamn is it ever boring.

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sammartinelli @sam-martinelli.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I don't think I'll ever forgive the level of cowardice displayed by so many institutions over the past two years

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sammartinelli @sam-martinelli.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

My latest! Old games can be weirdly intimidating for some, so I figured I'd help you all out!

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Rodger Sherman @rodger.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

*2026 NBA Champions Mikal Bridges

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Rodger Sherman @rodger.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Really tough to lose five NBA Draft picks and not get Mikal Bridges in return

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sammartinelli @sam-martinelli.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

WOWWWW can't believe there are actual consequences

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amandatien.bsky.social @amandatien.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

OF THE DEVIL is so good y'all, you gotta try it. I am legit obsessed. Loved talking to @nthcircle.bsky.social about their takes on the mystery genre and cool cyberpunk baddies. Thank you @midimyers.com for the edits & opportunity! ps: geeking out that I now qualify as a "@mothership.blog regular" 🥹

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sammartinelli @sam-martinelli.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

this is a really good article that also makes me very sad about The State of Things

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Nathaniel Rakich @baseballot.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Today in NYC, it’s theoretically possible for a crazy superfan to go to 3 MLB games in 1 day. The Yankees & Red Sox play a doubleheader at 1 and 7pm, and the Mets & Astros play at 4pm. Wish me luck.

A sign at a train station reading “New York Penn Station”

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la araňa discoteca @tape.website · 28/08/2026

january 6th player of the year

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James Hell Brooks @kleinman.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

This was always going to be the next step. There are no trans players in the WNBA so instead they're going after cis women who are insufficiently feminine for them.

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sammartinelli @sam-martinelli.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

What Graham is saying here is why I'll always vote Dem despite my criticisms of the party: so much of what the GOP stands for is simply illogical, irrational, and easily undermined or disproven by a basic review of facts

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sammartinelli @sam-martinelli.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

For my latest piece, I cover (but mostly rant about) Kingdom Hearts, the MCU, and media as "homework," something I will not stand for: punishedbacklog.com/enough-with-...

punishedbacklog.com

Enough With "Homework" Games - The Punished Backlog

I shouldn't have to play a crappy spin-off to truly enjoy Kingdom Hearts. Games aren't homework!

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