iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Not much color on the Blue Ridge Parkway yet, but I did see some flashes of reds and yellows. I always have to stop to get a picture of the Linn Cove Viaduct. #photography #boonenc #watauganc #blueridgeparkway #autumn

Colors starting to appear on the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Linn Cove Viaduct. Taken on October 7, 2026.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

The dude has mentioned Biden more in this interview than Trump. This false equivalence of "both sides" nonsense needs quashing. As someone from NC I can't wait to say good riddance and fuck all the way off to Tillis. I'd also like to offer a middle finger to MSNOW for continuing to platform him.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Oh man, my mom was a huge fan of V and the scene with Diana swallowing the guinea pig was terrifying. I would hide my face whenever they were on screen as their reptilian selves.

Diana, a Visitor, is about to swallow a guinea pig.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

This silly dog loves being chased though the leaves! #dogsofbluesky #dachshund #autumn #leaves

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The 9 Games that captured my imagination and a whole lot of time growing up.

My 9 Games: Tie Fighter, Zelda: A Link to the Past, Chrono Trigger, Street Fighter 2, Doom, Final Fantasy III, Myst, GTA: Vice City, Half-Life 2.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I haven't watched much the last few months, but I'm gearing up for all the horror/thriller stuff I've recorded off TCM for October. #LetterboxdFriday #LastFourWatched

My Letterboxd Last Four for the week of September 25, 2026. Toy Story 3, Toy Story 4, Eraserhead, The Window.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Yup, it worked! I canceled the order I had placed after the Direct and just ordered again with the coupon. Thanks for saving me another ten!

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

The ol "I see we've stopped at Bojangles for chicken supremes. How interesting." look from the backseat. #dogsofbluesky #dachshunds

My dachshund, Sandy, eyeballing me as we stopped at Bojangles.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Oh man, I love this movie. "See you around."

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

My little snapshot in time. I visited the 9/11 Memorial in May of 2012. The museum wasn't open, the trees were growing, and One World Trade Center was rising above Ground Zero. It was a place of profound sadness, but a sense of healing also permeated this hallowed place. Taken on a Nokia E5.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

"The Fellowship of the Ring" just feels right to read when the leaves are turning and there's that first hint of chill in the air.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Looks like a portal to another dimension has opened up directly overhead with the storm passing through. #clouds #cloudphotography #weather #ncweather #watauga

A nifty looking cloud formation as a front and thunderstorm pass through the NC mountains.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I reckon I'm going to have to learn to hunt like Thymara (yes, I'm reading the Rain Wild Chronicles 😅). Luckily I don't have a dragon to feed.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I've spent most of my life in the South but I've lived across the country from Louisiana to Maryland and Missouri to California. This map is a really cool representation of the mashup of dialects in my speech. mydialect.us/quiz-standar...

My dialect map. The representation considering where I've lived is impressive.

The data explanation provided for my dialect map.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

I read Parable of the Sower and Talents earlier this year. It's downright uncanny how prophetic both of them are. It's like the woman time machined herself into current times, took a look around, and noped back out to write them as a warning.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Worth the two hour drive to see Faetooth (@faetooth.bsky.social) in Asheville? Absolutely! What a crushingly stellar show. Appreciate y'all playing NC, and please pass along thanks to Bosses and Latter who were also fantastic. #musicsky #doommetal #faetooth

The band Faetooth, members Ari, Jenna, and Rah, performing at Eulogy in Asheville on August 19, 2026. Bosses and Latter were the opening acts.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Bonne fête nationale France! 🇫🇷 A photo I took from La Grande Arch on a soupy June morning in 2024. #photography #bastilleday #france #paris #shotonpixel #arcdetriomphe

After climbing the steps of La Grande Arch I was greeted by this amazing view of the Arc de Triomphe. Taken in the morning of June 2, 2024.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

A huge thanks to the fine folks over at @uesp.net, for the Elder Scrolls goodies. Some really cool items. The coin is insanely awesome. Special shout out to Lydia for being my go-to answer. #elderscrolls #videogames #uespnet

A photo of some of the really nice Elder Scrolls items being given away by the folks at UESP. The package contained a sheet of stickers, four posters, a figurine, and an awesome coin.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

This is nice to see. Been combing all over the site this morning looking for anything positive about the USMNT. Disappointed in the outcome, and the meddling, but proud of the guys for what they accomplished the last few weeks. Another Mamdani W.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

I feel like I'm the only person on Bluesky that's not gloating about the USMNT losing yesterday. It's rough out here. 😅 I've been a fan of the men's and women's teams since the early 90s and love watching both teams play. I hope folks that tuned in for the first time and became fans stick around.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Disappointed in the way this one went, but proud of this team and had a blast watching them play the last few weeks. Nothing to hang their heads about. They represented the US well. Congrats to Belgium. Well deserved victory and best against Spain. Get fired up for the ladies in Brazil in 2027.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

May we one day resume the lofty goal of striving for and attaining the noble ideas we were founded on 250 years ago. Happy 4th America. #America250 #IndependenceDay #photography #fireworks #blueridgemountains

Fireworks illuminate the night sky as they're launched from the valleys among the Blue Ridge Mountains. Photo taken by me on July 4, 2018.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Cape Verde could do the best thing ever for those of us tired of the non-stop Argentina and Messi jerking.🤞

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

I'm currently reading your annotated U.S. Constitution book (it's fantastic and superbly informative), and I'm like it's apparent that at least six Supreme Court justices and all of the right wing grifto-sphere should probably pick up copies as well. They might learn something.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Saturday vibes. Loved seeing this cat just chilling out on a street in Pompeii. #photography #catsofbluesky #italy #pompeii

A cat I photographed relaxing on the curb of a street in Pompeii.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Insufferable. I'd roll my eyes whenever I saw him sobbing on CNN. I can't even imagine how he managed to type that through the tears that surely must have been streaming down his face. That last paragraph is a doozy. The dude, and his ilk, are everything wrong with the democratic establishment.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Treated to a nice bunch of striated cirrus clouds moving across the sky this afternoon. #clouds #cirrusclouds #pixelography

Cirrus clouds featuring striated patterns moving across the afternoon sky.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

The media is doing such a disservice to this country. Berman knows there is no evidence. Sessions knows there's no evidence. We all know there's no evidence. It's gross how the MSM won't make it their duty to plainly point out that the president is lying. Everything else is performative garbage.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

I switched to a Kobo Clara Colour last December and it's been excellent. Same size as my old Paperwhite 3. It works seamlessly for side loading books with Calibre. The Kobo store usually price matches anything on Amazon. It's easy to load your own fonts and use custom software like KOReader.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

The 2026 Carolina Hurricanes are Stanley Cup Champions. That has a nice ring to it. Feels as good as it did in 2006. Happy for NC, Raleigh, and Canes fans, both old and new, who got to experience one hell of a run. #Canes #SoundTheSiren #LetsGoCanes #StanleyCupChamps

Jordan Staal lifting the Stanley Cup as the Hurricanes won their second NHL championship.

The Carolina Hurricanes are the 2026 Stanley Cup Champions.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

I'm all in on the Lydia redemption arc. She's awesome.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Morning devotionals at the Canes shrine hoping the guys can lift Lord Stanley's Cup tonight in Vegas. #Canes #LetsGoCanes #SoundTheSiren #StanleyCupFinal

A selection of some of my Carolina Hurricanes items - a jersey from the early 2000s, Bauer cap, 2006 Champions pint glass, Raleigh Arena Inaugural patch, and a puck signed by Ron Francis.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

"Aragon" by Roy Ayers (also from the Coffy soundtrack) playing during the money exchange is an all time jam. youtu.be/u5kdEVhObCQ?...

youtu.be

Aragon (From The "Coffy" Soundtrack)

YouTube video by Roy Ayers - Topic

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

From a Hornets fan that's living vicariously through you folks, go Knicks!

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

I have around 130 hours on my first Xenoblade Chronicles play through, and now it's like seeing a whole new game with the Switch 2 upgrade pack. The visuals are stellar and the colors are popping off the screen. Time for a NG+ run I suppose. #XenobladeChronicles #Switch2 #Xenoblade

A screenshot showing the updated visuals for Xenoblade Chronicles with the Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade pack.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Nice job ladies keeping your composure. Brazil should be embarrassed for that display of "football". Their fans were awesome and deserved better. Still, a win is a win and that experience will be needed for next year.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Going with 2 X 4 and King Nothing, the latter was on repeat constantly.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Much love to the wonderful folks of Italy on this 80th Festa della Repubblica. A photo of the Italian flag taken in Como on May 21, 2026. #Italy #republicday #Italianholiday

The flag of Italy flying above Como. Taken by me on May 21, 2026.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Out for a walk around the yard with the dog when we see this young fellow on the bank. I gawked at him, he stared back before turning tail and lumbering into the trees. First time I've seen one around. Very cool. #bear #blackbear #photography #westernnc #pixelography

A young black bear wandering and exploring around my home. Taken on June 2, 2026.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

In need of a reorganization and a new board, but I'm happy to have a spot along the bottom row for the pins I recently acquired in Italy. #enamelpins #lapelpins #pincollection #travelpins

A cork board highlighting my enamel pin collection. The most recent are along the bottom row acquired in Italy.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

If tearing up at the conclusion of "Train Dreams" on an international flight is wrong I don't want to be right. #LetterboxdFriday #LastFourWatched

My Letterboxd Last Four Watched for the week ending May 29, 2026. They are "The Killing of a Sacred Deer", "Mildred Pierce", "28 Years Later", and "Train Dreams".

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

I'm in Italy currently, and it's astounding how much European countries have on the US when it comes to public transportation. As an aside I bought along the Teixcalaan series. I finished "A Memory Called Empire" a couple nights ago, and started the second right away. Thanks for the awesome reads!

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

I just checked my digital edition of PHM and there is an acknowledgement section that's a few pages long in which he thanks some folks for help with physics and chemistry. Happy reading!

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

It's been awhile since I've read The Martian and Project Hail Mary, but I could've sworn Andy has an acknowledgement section at the end for all the science-y stuff. Either way he makes it a lot of fun.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Eh, she along with the rest of 'em are access journalists. They'll never stick up for themselves or each other as long as they have a chance of getting Trump on the phone while sane washing his bullshit.

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Charles @paintedgrey.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

White guy Gen X here, and if anything, I've gotten more progressive as I've gotten older. It's a good feeling to not be a garbage human being.

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