iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Finished The Count of Monte Cristo yesterday. A fun, breezy 1,250-page read that satisfies in a way that feel-good films do, with a lean towards intellectual and historical depth, but a more plot-driven thriller than I expected.... defiantsloth.com/2026/10/10/finishe…

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Why the hell are things the way they are.

A list of trending news stories includes topics on aging, garage hacks, frugal living tips, and a planetary-scale weather event heading for California. (Trending News articles in Apple News, Sept 28)

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

This candy store in Jordan, MN (allegedly the largest in the state, no way I’d argue against it), was a roadside spectacle. What’s in the dome? You could never guess.

A large yellow spherical structure with a red decorative dinosaur and red flags positioned in front of it against a clear blue sky.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Our outings to the MN State Fair were more subdued this year, but still great food at the classic spots (Baba and Midway Men’s Club forever), and this piece in the Fine Arts building really stuck with me.

A colorful abstract painting features several cups and a tall striped container set against geometric shapes and bold areas of blue, orange, green, and black.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Clouds, mushrooms, trees. Vantage point: biking.

A lush green landscape with various trees and plants is set against a backdrop of a soft pink cloud under a clear blue sky.

A cluster of shelf fungi with white edges grows on a decaying tree stump in a wooded setting.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Incredible growth story for a once-beleaguered toy maker: Lego has seen a 10× increase in revenues over the past 20 years, amid growing changes in its core customers’ attentions (obviously: screens). While I don’t get the new Lego floral arrangements, it’s good to see physical toys still sell well.

Lego's revenue has steadily increased from 2004 to a projected peak of around 12 billion dollars by 2025. (Screenshot copied from linked-to Economist article.)

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

A lot of these cukes just hanging over the edge, hiding in plain site.

A small green cucumber is growing on a vine surrounded by large green leaves.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Ah, a nice morning run around the lake, with a beach stop through the woods before wrapping up. I like to do this pitstop on occasion, as the wooded area offers a welcome sound bath before grinding back into the work day in front of a screen.

A serene lake scene features a sandy shore in the foreground, calm water reflecting the surrounding trees, and a partly cloudy blue sky above.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Still thinking about this… watched Resurrection a few months ago, and have been meaning to re-watch Holy Motors. As these churn over in my memory, they feel like cinematic siblings. Also, that last act of Resurrection is in my permanent memory. So beautiful.

Two promotional posters featuring the text Holy Motors and Resurrection are overlapping each other, featuring images of a limousine, various characters, and a silhouette of a person against a multi-colored background.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Neon lighting. We all love it. WSJ with a nice dive into maintaining the format, and reformulating an historically terminated (due to cost effectiveness) color of neon, cyan green. Nice cinematic call-outs to Casablanca and Eyes Wide Shut, too. [Photo mine, unrelated; gift link URL]

A red neon sign is mounted on a wall with a lattice pattern above it.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

I fully support local coffee shops deploying canned brews, giving us a choice against (usually) poorly executed, mass-produced offerings at most grocers. SK Coffee released theirs earlier in the summer, and it’s an excellent first offering; alas, just wish it was more widely available at retail.

A four-pack of tall cans labeled Cold Brew Peru, by SK Coffee is placed on a brown leather surface.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

✱ A Pacific Northwest Jaunt: defiantsloth.com/2026/08/04/a-pacif… We decided to return to the Pacific Northwest for our summer trip, three years after our last excursion… ➔

A tranquil lake is surrounded by dense green forests and towering mountains under a vibrant blue sky with scattered clouds.

A forest trail winds through tall trees and moss-covered rocks on a steep hillside.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Thinking back a month and a half about my first attempted pizza in an outdoor oven. Kept it sliding on a mountain of semolina for the launch, it turned out well, and now I’m ripping a few of these every week for us. These pizzas can be elite, and with care, anyone can (probably) do them.

A pizza with melted cheese and slices of pickles on a wooden pizza peel, placed on a black metal mesh table along with a pizza cutter.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

While I should have known, I wasn’t prepared for how much of a summer banger Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo is. I may only be a fourth of the way through this opus, but it’s one of the breeziest 19th century reads I’ve wrangled, and so far, a pitch perfect swashbuckling adventure.

A thick paperback edition of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is resting on a black metal mesh table.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

The Hyland Lake Ski Jump has such an ominous presence.

A ski jump structure extends above a wooded area under a partly cloudy sky.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

‘Olievans’ made a virtual Criterion closet that you can gaze around in 3D and pull out each case for inspection (or get a link to the Criterion Channel, if applicable). Love this. We also spent an hour watching Closet Picks on YouTube the other night – lots of new ones! ~via Kottke

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Kurasawa’s Seven Samurai holds up 72 years later. Obviously. And the Criterion 4K release is stunning. If there’s ever a film to get folks into filmmaking — the composition, sound and set design, plot, pacing, acting,… thi... defiantsloth.com/2026/06/16/kurasaw…

A group of people dressed in traditional samurai attire are gathered in an interior setting, focusing on a document on the floor, while one person prominently displays a sword; subtitles read That is correct. From Seven Samurai.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Rats play poker in Kansas City.

A rusty dumpster features graffiti with the text RATS PLAYING POKER on its side, location: Kansas City. (Filtered through AgBr app)

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Bicycle Thieves × Paths of Glory: defiantsloth.com/2026/05/23/bicycle… Settled into an evening of back-to-back postwar bangers: De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves (1948) and Kubrick’s Paths of Glory (1957).

Two classic film blu-rays, Bicycle Thieves and Paths of Glory, are placed on a wooden surface. Black and White (filtered via the AgBr app)

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

Woodgrain, b&w. Been fascinated with our 1970s parquet flooring since moving in last year — beautiful patterning. Can’t imagine what something like this would cost to install nowadays. It’ll eventually need some resurfacing and care. Simulated film filter with the AgBr app.

A geometric pattern of interlocking wooden parquet tiles with distinct grain textures. Simulated filter via the AgBr app.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Absolutely cinematic Wolves win last night. One of those games from which you bask in the afterglow. Closed out the series (down three starters to injury) and against seemingly all odds. Huge McDaniels, Gobert, and TJ game, you love to see it come together in the post-season.

A crowded arena features a basketball game and a large screen displaying WOLVES WIN as fans watch.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Two master illustrators meet for an interview — Luis Mendo chats with Satoshi Hashimoto. I’ve loved Hashimoto’s work ever since perusing the pages of Monocle over 15 years ago, and just recently starting recognizing more of Mendo’s work. This was a delight to read.

A cartoon illustration shows a person with glasses and a beard holding a pencil, looking upwards on a red circle background.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Finally got around to seeing Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas. What a film. Magnificent cinematography and color grading. Performances were monumental. Americana for the ages (even through the eyes of a German director). The Criterion 4k remaster is where it’s at.

A disc case featuring artwork for the film Paris, Texas rests on a wooden table next to a green potted plant.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

It took me no time at all once I downloaded and opened Quiche to set it as the default browser and line up a customized toolbar (just one of its excellent features). This thing is near perfect (maybe perfect?) — huge kudos to the developer.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Trying the new Acme Weather app by the original Dark Sky devs. A clean, succinct interface kindly echoes the old app. Community submissions is neat, but not prominently used yet. The innovations seem to be multiple forecasts averaging and this cheeky experimental notifications pane. I’m in.

An experimental settings page labeled Acme Labs offers toggle switches to receive notifications for rainbows, auroras, and sunsets.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Re-Thinking the RSS Experience: defiantsloth.com/2026/02/20/rethink… We never stop talking about RSS.

A digital interface (NetNewsWire Mac app) shows a list of RSS feeds with subject lines and previews, including topics like economic growth, Supreme Court decisions, and various articles.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

An overdue excalamation for not just the past few months, but years: I’m proud of our local Minnesota press. So many extraordinary journalists keeping tabs within communities not just within the Twin Cities, but far and wide... defiantsloth.com/2026/02/18/an-over…

A newspaper spread showcases a collection of images from the Minnesota general strike in January, a protest event featuring crowds, signs, and marching.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Appreciating The Verge’s work lately, including keeping us informed on the best gas masks to buy in 2026 (naturally), and doing stellar work informing the latest in Minnesota. A tech site has every right to do this (particularly in the wake of technology being used against citizens of the USA).

Screenshot from the Verge: Two gas masks and a bottle are displayed against an abstract, green and black background with text about gas masks and their use.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

The Minnesota General Strike of 2026 ✱: defiantsloth.com/2026/01/25/the-min… The first general strike in the USA for 80 years occurred in Minneapolis on January 23, 2026 ✱

A crowd of people is gathered on a snowy street holding signs in front of a tall building.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

Brazil, Terry Gilliam’s manic daydream of totalitarian pandemonium and comic dystopia, holds up marvelously after forty years (obviously, more on the nose than ever). Criterion recently released a new 4K version (not pi... defiantsloth.com/2025/12/23/brazil-…

A Criterion Collection case for the film Brazil is placed on a wooden surface.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

In watching Criterion’s 2025 4K release of Eyes Wide Shut, my immediate thought was that the grain and contrast is spectacular. And evidently, this was a major part of the release: they went back to the actual original 35mm celluloid for scanning, and it has yielded a film-like master. Bravo.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

Waking up to the first snowfall of the season up here. It’s been tardy for the last several years in a row now, for whatever that’s worth.

Snow-covered trees create a serene winter forest scene.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

Fascinating interview with Helen DeWitt on the highly improbable methods and circumstances leading to her latest, 25-years-in-the-making novel, Your Name Here. Looking forward to cracking this open after The Rose Fie... defiantsloth.com/2025/11/05/fascina…

A person's hand points at handwritten notes pinned to a wall. (image by Mustafah Abdulaziz for The New York Times)

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

As the autumn winds churn through the outside world, I’m increasingly excited to settle into warm evenings by a fire, voraciously reading through my stack of recently published books: Philip Pullman’s The Rose Field Helen DeWitt’s Your Name Here Adam Johnson’s The Wayfinder

Two hardcover books with colorful spines are stacked on a wooden surface.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

I do appreciate Tonx’s forthright reckoning with himself/the industry on how to operate an independent, honest DTC business without pre-established celebrity clout (I mean, outside of the coffee space, I suppose, but he is still roasting and seeking coffee).

A handwritten letter from Tony Konecny details experiences and thoughts about coffee culture with underlined text and a small illustration of a coffee pot.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

Halfway through Ray Nayler’s Where the Axe is Buried. If you want near-future existential dread, this is the book for you. Masterclass in pulling in a reader through approachable but slightly foreign world building with an intriguing, politically relevant story.

A book titled "Where the Axe is Buried" by Ray Nayler is placed on a table next to a half-full pint of dark beer.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

While I haven’t read it since it was released (back in 2013?), Brian K. Vaughan’s The Private Eye was particularly prescient. We’ve been heading towards its worldview for years and… have arrived, I’d say — even if every private detail about our lives hasn’t leaked, anonymity is impossible.

A tense conversation unfolds between two individuals in an office with a large window, as stormy skies and ominous shadows loom outside.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Beautiful night at the Arboretum on Saturday. They hosted a walking event under the full Harvest Moon, and just a week into our newfound discovery of this place, we’ve been twice. We’re anticpating several more visits as the temps cool and leaves change.

A dimly lit path surrounded by grass and trees is illuminated by small lights under a clear night sky.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

In Monocle’s Briefing newsletter today, they highlighted the modernist/brutalist architecture of Japan’s Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium from 1964 and its risk of being torn down. At a glance, it shares a design philosophy with Death Stranding’s entrances for its Knot Cities. Love the overlap.

A modern architectural structure with a curved design in Japan, surrounded by trees, is at risk of being repurposed

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

Excellent piece by Heavy Table on the Midway Men’s Club at the Minnesota State Fair. My favorite stop (often multi-stop) when I go. "But while it may be as old-school as it gets, the place is anything but dusty. It hums with... defiantsloth.com/2025/08/27/excelle…

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

This was a once-in-a-lifetime-first-experience read: I Who Have Bever Known Men. Phenomenal novel by the late Jacqueline Hartman. It weaves a harrowing exploration of selfhood to the backdrop of a retracted, minimally expositioned nightmare. I suppose you could call it my poolside summer read.

A book titled "I Who Have Never Known Men" by Jacqueline Harpman is resting on a metal mesh table.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

Passed by this stack of fallen trees, sliced up by the city, on my morning run. We’ve been getting some wild weather this summer.

A pile of freshly cut logs of varying sizes is stacked together.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

Brutal, but absolutely on point mixed media work by Thomas Doyle (nice aggregation by Colossal). This kind of tech takeover has been done over the years, but in the medium of faux-antiquated sculptures, it hits differently. (image via of Colossal)

Miniature sculpture artwork depicting a person in a toga looking at a phone device that is piercing their entire face.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

A rewatch of Laloux’s Fantastic Planet (1973) re-establishes — in my mind — its boundless inventiveness and vision, albeit encompassing a common tale. It also operates as an historic spiritual precursor to the Scavengers Reign series, which was unjustly cancelled by both HBO Max and Netflix.

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 13/07/2025

Phenomenal retrospective on building Alien Isolation by the newly rebooted @gameinformer.com magazine (subscriber article, but worth it to support gaming journalism). Love the devs’ rule: “nothing can go into Isolation that couldn’t be made on [Ridley] Scott’s set.” gameinformer.com/retrospectiv...

Picture of magazine against rust-colored rug, with quote notable in large text: You may not always cross paths with the xenomorph, but when you do you’re sure to remember it

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

Just discovered this post-war architectural collective of “buildings inspired by pyramids and mastabas that rise above the sandy, green expanse of a former farm” just outside the French Mediterranean coastline. A... defiantsloth.com/2025/07/04/just-di…

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Paul Williams @defiantsloth.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

Snapped through some fresh pull-tabs in a farewell tour of sorts to my area of St. Paul (Halftime Rec and Gabe’s, farewell for a while — I’ll be back). Also: a fairly substantial update to the pull-tabs library.

A pile of opened pull-tab tickets is scattered on a wooden surface.

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