Colleen Barry
@copycurmudgeon.bsky.social
Copy editor (ProPublica, FiveThirtyEight, ESPN), baker, cross stitcher, cat furniture. she/her
Pinned
Getting kicked out of my family vacation for bellowing, “Do not cite the deep lore to me, witch,” when my 5-year-old niece told me I had to watch the Mario movie to know about the characters, like how Peach comes from the Mushroom Kingdom and Bowser wants to marry her.
Reposted by Colleen Barry
Breaking: Tragedy at the Winter Olympics
February 7, 2026 at 3:39 PM
Breaking: Tragedy at the Winter Olympics
Reposted by Colleen Barry
production of The Muppet Show should not be dependent on petty vulgarities like “ratings” or “revenue.” it should be preserved as a vital function of american culture. it should have a taxpayer-funded budget rivaling the CIA
February 7, 2026 at 12:40 AM
production of The Muppet Show should not be dependent on petty vulgarities like “ratings” or “revenue.” it should be preserved as a vital function of american culture. it should have a taxpayer-funded budget rivaling the CIA
All my brain is doing from now until Monday is, “I’m not a real doctor but I AM A REAL, I AM AN ACTUAL WORM”
February 7, 2026 at 1:27 AM
All my brain is doing from now until Monday is, “I’m not a real doctor but I AM A REAL, I AM AN ACTUAL WORM”
Crap, I use this for checking basic stuff when I edit international stories.
So sad. I remember when I was in an honors seminar at Marquette, on dictatorships, and we all had to use it as one of our key sources. (My country: Belarus. Sad thing is that the president then is still the president there now.)
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/u...
C.I.A. World Factbook Ends Publication After 6 Decades
www.nytimes.com
February 6, 2026 at 4:00 AM
Crap, I use this for checking basic stuff when I edit international stories.
Reposted by Colleen Barry
journalists are workers who deserve to be paid fairly for our labor and I think that far too few consumers of media recognize or even care about this fact
February 4, 2026 at 5:20 PM
journalists are workers who deserve to be paid fairly for our labor and I think that far too few consumers of media recognize or even care about this fact
Many people who think they can get news anywhere still care about sports, and sports fans want coverage focused on *their* team. For local and regional outlets, fans mean subscriptions, clicks, shares. Killing the sports desk cuts revenue and makes you just another national outlet in a sea of them.
the sports desk drives the money for the rest of the operation and killing it is a move done by people who have no clue what they’re doing or how their own business works
February 4, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Many people who think they can get news anywhere still care about sports, and sports fans want coverage focused on *their* team. For local and regional outlets, fans mean subscriptions, clicks, shares. Killing the sports desk cuts revenue and makes you just another national outlet in a sea of them.
This cat saw the time knife
February 3, 2026 at 2:38 AM
This cat saw the time knife
I was trying to read some screen grab from the Epstein files when my cat came over and rubbed his face on my phone, closing the image. Honestly, dude, here’s a Churu, thanks for protecting my sanity.
February 1, 2026 at 4:21 PM
I was trying to read some screen grab from the Epstein files when my cat came over and rubbed his face on my phone, closing the image. Honestly, dude, here’s a Churu, thanks for protecting my sanity.
We need to keep the cat out of the kitchen for a bit, so we set up a 5’ tall baby gate. Today I heard a loud bang and looked up to see a furious cat being removed from the top of the gate (see artist’s re-creation). Apparently he can jump 5’ straight up.
January 29, 2026 at 3:41 AM
We need to keep the cat out of the kitchen for a bit, so we set up a 5’ tall baby gate. Today I heard a loud bang and looked up to see a furious cat being removed from the top of the gate (see artist’s re-creation). Apparently he can jump 5’ straight up.
Doubt I’ll win any awards but I think I got there eventually.
January 26, 2026 at 2:40 AM
Doubt I’ll win any awards but I think I got there eventually.
Once again googling “how to braid 6-strand loaf”
a close up of a woman 's face with a triangle and a mathematical formula .
Alt: A woman looks confused as various math formulas appear next to her face.
media.tenor.com
January 25, 2026 at 11:41 PM
Once again googling “how to braid 6-strand loaf”
Reposted by Colleen Barry
Being a journalist is sick: I just contacted a pre-eminent jaguar conservationist in Argentine with a question that has been weighing on me for ages and he wrote back right away with an informed answer.
January 25, 2026 at 11:13 PM
Being a journalist is sick: I just contacted a pre-eminent jaguar conservationist in Argentine with a question that has been weighing on me for ages and he wrote back right away with an informed answer.
Reposted by Colleen Barry
Listen. If you can't work up the energy to make a whole meal, eating the elements of a meal also counts
A couple slices of ham, a slice of cheese, and a slice of bread is a deconstructed sandwich
A couple slices of ham, a slice of cheese, and a slice of bread is a deconstructed sandwich
Doomscrolling reminder, with a side of, "Have you eaten something substantial?"
Doesn't have to be fancy, i have some hummus I should crack open, and enjoy with tortilla chips for example.
Doesn't have to be fancy, i have some hummus I should crack open, and enjoy with tortilla chips for example.
I suppose I could do an "oh fuck we should probably eat something tonight" reminder with the knowledge that lots of us have no appetite and/or no energy to figure out something like food.
January 25, 2026 at 12:33 AM
Listen. If you can't work up the energy to make a whole meal, eating the elements of a meal also counts
A couple slices of ham, a slice of cheese, and a slice of bread is a deconstructed sandwich
A couple slices of ham, a slice of cheese, and a slice of bread is a deconstructed sandwich
Cold enough out that I kept my mask on outdoors just so I’d be breathing warm air.
January 25, 2026 at 12:11 AM
Cold enough out that I kept my mask on outdoors just so I’d be breathing warm air.
Once again I am enjoying “The Menu.” Simply never not delighted when “The Menu” is happening in front of my eyeballs.
January 17, 2026 at 3:17 AM
Once again I am enjoying “The Menu.” Simply never not delighted when “The Menu” is happening in front of my eyeballs.
Reposted by Colleen Barry
this rules so much
January 16, 2026 at 9:22 PM
this rules so much
Reposted by Colleen Barry
The best thing about shitty Plymouth Rock is that there’s absolutely no evidence it’s actually the right rock. 120 years after the pilgrims, some guy in the town was like “oh yeah my dad told me this is the rock”
Once again posting Plymouth Rock, the final boss of disappointing landmarks
January 16, 2026 at 9:20 PM
The best thing about shitty Plymouth Rock is that there’s absolutely no evidence it’s actually the right rock. 120 years after the pilgrims, some guy in the town was like “oh yeah my dad told me this is the rock”
Reposted by Colleen Barry
As the world burns, let's get one thing straight. A video podcast is just a TV show.
January 16, 2026 at 12:26 AM
As the world burns, let's get one thing straight. A video podcast is just a TV show.
The security guard M. Emmet Walsh plays in “Knives Out” is, I just noticed, credited as Mr. Proofroc. Seems like a lovely reference for a veteran character actor.
January 13, 2026 at 3:04 AM
The security guard M. Emmet Walsh plays in “Knives Out” is, I just noticed, credited as Mr. Proofroc. Seems like a lovely reference for a veteran character actor.
They need to start selling this stuff in giant tubs because I can’t stop putting it on popcorn
shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/better...
shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/better...
Better Cheddar Cheese Powder
Shop King Arthur Baking for premium flours, tools, and mixes. Trusted by bakers since 1790. Quality ingredients for perfect results every time
shop.kingarthurbaking.com
January 7, 2026 at 12:03 AM
They need to start selling this stuff in giant tubs because I can’t stop putting it on popcorn
shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/better...
shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/better...
Reposted by Colleen Barry
My hometown: We’re gonna put street signs in title case instead of all caps so they’re not yelling at you anymore. 😊😊
The signs:
The signs:
November 25, 2023 at 11:01 PM
My hometown: We’re gonna put street signs in title case instead of all caps so they’re not yelling at you anymore. 😊😊
The signs:
The signs:
Reposted by Colleen Barry
"If you start this movie at 10:02 PM, then right at midnight--" buddy I am pausing that movie 47 minutes in to get cookies and use the bathroom, midnight happens when I say it does
January 1, 2026 at 12:37 AM
"If you start this movie at 10:02 PM, then right at midnight--" buddy I am pausing that movie 47 minutes in to get cookies and use the bathroom, midnight happens when I say it does
Gonna watch “The Apartment” and then “Clue” and go to bed at 12:06 like the party animal I am.
January 1, 2026 at 1:43 AM
Gonna watch “The Apartment” and then “Clue” and go to bed at 12:06 like the party animal I am.
Took me a looooong time to figure out what word ending in “-nicate” was meant to be here.
December 30, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Took me a looooong time to figure out what word ending in “-nicate” was meant to be here.
Reposted by Colleen Barry
To refuse to comment and then slam the press for what it prints is a transparent effort to discredit and sow doubt. That's another reason why, in this line of work, you bend over backwards for comment, and make it clear that you did.
Sometimes, when reporters don’t get a response to a request for comment, we’ll bend over backwards to reach someone — even going to their home or sending letters.
Quick thread on why we do that.🧵
Quick thread on why we do that.🧵
“You are not entitled to a response from us, or anyone, ever." - Dept. of Education to ProPublica's @megomatz.bsky.social
"Our journalists reach out to people they’re writing about to ensure fairness. But ... their efforts to do so are more likely to be vilified than appreciated."
"Our journalists reach out to people they’re writing about to ensure fairness. But ... their efforts to do so are more likely to be vilified than appreciated."
December 29, 2025 at 8:36 PM
To refuse to comment and then slam the press for what it prints is a transparent effort to discredit and sow doubt. That's another reason why, in this line of work, you bend over backwards for comment, and make it clear that you did.