M-Rob
@mirobin.bsky.social
Editor from Canada, living elsewhere. Has worked in journalism. For personal reasons, staying semi-anonymous on here for now.
Likes coffee and enjoys the Beatles. Thinks the Robinson is the best-looking map projection, hands down. (cf. xkcd 977)
Likes coffee and enjoys the Beatles. Thinks the Robinson is the best-looking map projection, hands down. (cf. xkcd 977)
Reposted by M-Rob
BIG FIGHT AT POLAND’S WROCLAW ZOO!!!
January 9, 2026 at 8:02 PM
BIG FIGHT AT POLAND’S WROCLAW ZOO!!!
Spot on
Happy new year! Here's your January cartoon: ivacheung.com/2026/01/let-... #AmEditing
Let it stand - Iva Cheung
ivacheung.com
January 2, 2026 at 8:20 AM
Spot on
Ah just like every year then
January 1, 2026 at 8:57 PM
Ah just like every year then
Hey Mr Tambourine Man tally me banana
Me weariness amazes me and me wanna go home
Me weariness amazes me and me wanna go home
January 1, 2026 at 8:22 PM
Hey Mr Tambourine Man tally me banana
Me weariness amazes me and me wanna go home
Me weariness amazes me and me wanna go home
Reposted by M-Rob
We all know it but don't want to say it:
New Year's is not about looking back or looking forward but about making a big enough deal out of number going up that we MIGHT remember not to keep writing 2024 next week
New Year's is not about looking back or looking forward but about making a big enough deal out of number going up that we MIGHT remember not to keep writing 2024 next week
December 31, 2025 at 5:55 PM
We all know it but don't want to say it:
New Year's is not about looking back or looking forward but about making a big enough deal out of number going up that we MIGHT remember not to keep writing 2024 next week
New Year's is not about looking back or looking forward but about making a big enough deal out of number going up that we MIGHT remember not to keep writing 2024 next week
Reposted by M-Rob
Inspired by a comment that I received on another post and thinking about a college friend of mine... where do we start when writing a history of rap? What do we include and what do we exclude? A thread...
December 27, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Inspired by a comment that I received on another post and thinking about a college friend of mine... where do we start when writing a history of rap? What do we include and what do we exclude? A thread...
Make a Bond film casual
The Man with the Golden Glue Gun
The Man with the Golden Glue Gun
Make a Bond film casual
License to Chill
License to Chill
Make a Bond film casual
Dr. Maybe, We’ll See
Dr. Maybe, We’ll See
December 26, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Make a Bond film casual
The Man with the Golden Glue Gun
The Man with the Golden Glue Gun
Reposted by M-Rob
During the 20th century, the greatest portrait photographer was Canadian Yousuf Karsh.
From his studio in Ottawa, he captured the portraits of some of the most famous individuals from that century.
This is the story of the master photographer.
🧵 1/12
From his studio in Ottawa, he captured the portraits of some of the most famous individuals from that century.
This is the story of the master photographer.
🧵 1/12
December 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
During the 20th century, the greatest portrait photographer was Canadian Yousuf Karsh.
From his studio in Ottawa, he captured the portraits of some of the most famous individuals from that century.
This is the story of the master photographer.
🧵 1/12
From his studio in Ottawa, he captured the portraits of some of the most famous individuals from that century.
This is the story of the master photographer.
🧵 1/12
Reposted by M-Rob
When we say "no, everything hasn't been digitized," I need you to understand that we really mean is that virtually nothing has been digitized. This is because the realm of primary sources that historians use is incomprehensibly large.
Seems like it's worth posting this one again.
Why Do Historians Still Have To Go To Archives?
Why do historians go to archives? Hasn’t everything already been digitized?
contingentmagazine.org
December 22, 2025 at 1:40 AM
When we say "no, everything hasn't been digitized," I need you to understand that we really mean is that virtually nothing has been digitized. This is because the realm of primary sources that historians use is incomprehensibly large.
I personally would not volunteer for getting punched by a man who won an Olympic gold medal for punching people, but I guess I'm just different
December 20, 2025 at 8:07 PM
I personally would not volunteer for getting punched by a man who won an Olympic gold medal for punching people, but I guess I'm just different
Reposted by M-Rob
Something new. A #postcardadventcalendar. Stick with me for some nicely odd vintage images for the month, and you may end up with an expression like our friend in a deckchair in front of painted sea. Hold tight. The thread starts today:
1. Woman in a deckchair.
Cheers, T.
1. Woman in a deckchair.
Cheers, T.
December 1, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Something new. A #postcardadventcalendar. Stick with me for some nicely odd vintage images for the month, and you may end up with an expression like our friend in a deckchair in front of painted sea. Hold tight. The thread starts today:
1. Woman in a deckchair.
Cheers, T.
1. Woman in a deckchair.
Cheers, T.
Reposted by M-Rob
DICK VAN DYKE HAS REACHED AGE 100 HAPPY BIRTHDAY DICK VAN DYKE!!!
December 13, 2025 at 4:24 PM
DICK VAN DYKE HAS REACHED AGE 100 HAPPY BIRTHDAY DICK VAN DYKE!!!
Mister Rogers, his consciousness uploaded to the Matrix: "Well my friend has just called to say that Morpheus is fighting Neo. So let's put on our shoes and walk on over to see how our new neighbor is doing!"
December 11, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Mister Rogers, his consciousness uploaded to the Matrix: "Well my friend has just called to say that Morpheus is fighting Neo. So let's put on our shoes and walk on over to see how our new neighbor is doing!"
Reposted by M-Rob
I only ever listen to this on Spotify, so my Spotify Wrapped age is 3,100: www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8qh...
mummy voice
YouTube video by kmlkmljkl
www.youtube.com
December 5, 2025 at 10:15 PM
I only ever listen to this on Spotify, so my Spotify Wrapped age is 3,100: www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8qh...
Reposted by M-Rob
This is not a birth certificate and that footprint does not belong to the child discussed on the tablet. They're not even from the same city; the footprint is from Nippur, the text is from Ur.
So why did the Penn Museum bring these objects together like this since 2016?
So why did the Penn Museum bring these objects together like this since 2016?
Sumerian birth certificate. A clay tablet found at the Sumerian city of Nippur in southern Iraq.
Estimated to be around 2000-1600 BC. Contains a birth announcement, its gender, the names of its parents, and a footprint of the newborn.
@menavisualss #globalmuseum #history #Sumerian #archaeology
Estimated to be around 2000-1600 BC. Contains a birth announcement, its gender, the names of its parents, and a footprint of the newborn.
@menavisualss #globalmuseum #history #Sumerian #archaeology
December 5, 2025 at 5:53 AM
This is not a birth certificate and that footprint does not belong to the child discussed on the tablet. They're not even from the same city; the footprint is from Nippur, the text is from Ur.
So why did the Penn Museum bring these objects together like this since 2016?
So why did the Penn Museum bring these objects together like this since 2016?
Reposted by M-Rob
I’ve seen some oddities on the Belfast antique auction sites — spooky porcelain dolls, eyebrow raising WW2 memorabilia, etc — but this is by far the most inexplicable:
December 3, 2025 at 7:49 PM
I’ve seen some oddities on the Belfast antique auction sites — spooky porcelain dolls, eyebrow raising WW2 memorabilia, etc — but this is by far the most inexplicable:
Jumping back into an RPG that you left unfinished years ago from your last saved game is so funny. Just waking up in beautiful, unirradiated Zion Canyon with an anti-materiel rifle, a vague memory why I’m here, and no idea what I’m supposed to be accomplishing
December 3, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Jumping back into an RPG that you left unfinished years ago from your last saved game is so funny. Just waking up in beautiful, unirradiated Zion Canyon with an anti-materiel rifle, a vague memory why I’m here, and no idea what I’m supposed to be accomplishing
Reposted by M-Rob
As part of the promotion for MY NEW BOOK I did a podcast with Dan Carlin's Hardcore History — you can listen to it on Spotify if that's the kind of you're into: open.spotify.com/episode/2BpV...
EP34 Atomic Accountability
open.spotify.com
December 1, 2025 at 10:46 AM
As part of the promotion for MY NEW BOOK I did a podcast with Dan Carlin's Hardcore History — you can listen to it on Spotify if that's the kind of you're into: open.spotify.com/episode/2BpV...
Last day of the annual lyrics prompt 🥲
Day 30: Everything #LyricsPrompt #LyricsPrompt2025
Reply to this post (not the top one!) with the artist, title, hashtag & YouTube link to the 1st song today's prompt word reminds you of (derivatives OK!). Scroll through the replies first—if your song's already there, like it instead of reposting.
Reply to this post (not the top one!) with the artist, title, hashtag & YouTube link to the 1st song today's prompt word reminds you of (derivatives OK!). Scroll through the replies first—if your song's already there, like it instead of reposting.
November 30, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Last day of the annual lyrics prompt 🥲
I wondered about the lack of non-mammals when I saw Zootopia. Now I know my suspicions were justified
November 28, 2025 at 6:52 PM
I wondered about the lack of non-mammals when I saw Zootopia. Now I know my suspicions were justified
Reposted by M-Rob
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 PM
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
Reposted by M-Rob
I wrote about one of my favorite Peanuts comic strips of all time—and a whole bunch of other ones—and why this one might be the richest single expression of Charles Schulz’s interests and imaginative world.
“Peanuts”: Suffering, baseball, and religion
[comics and the problem of evil]
greydanus.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:11 PM
I wrote about one of my favorite Peanuts comic strips of all time—and a whole bunch of other ones—and why this one might be the richest single expression of Charles Schulz’s interests and imaginative world.
My room-temperature takes are that Star Wars is the best Star Wars; Empire is the best movie that happens to be Star Wars; Awakens is good fun; Last and Rogue try the most interesting things but needed to be given longer production cycles to get properly worked out;
1. Empire Strikes Back
2. Star Wars
3. Rogue One
4. The Force Awakens
5. The Last Jedi
6. Return of the Jedi
7. Solo
8. Revenge of the Sith
9. Attack of the Clones
10. The Rise of Skywalker
11. The Phantom Menace
Andor, not a movie, is the best overall Star Wars product and everybody knows it
2. Star Wars
3. Rogue One
4. The Force Awakens
5. The Last Jedi
6. Return of the Jedi
7. Solo
8. Revenge of the Sith
9. Attack of the Clones
10. The Rise of Skywalker
11. The Phantom Menace
Andor, not a movie, is the best overall Star Wars product and everybody knows it
haven’t seen ROS or Solo but this seems like a pretty ball-knowing list from Pritzker, particularly if he volunteered the name “Star Wars” rather than “A New Hope”
November 24, 2025 at 9:53 PM
My room-temperature takes are that Star Wars is the best Star Wars; Empire is the best movie that happens to be Star Wars; Awakens is good fun; Last and Rogue try the most interesting things but needed to be given longer production cycles to get properly worked out;
Reposted by M-Rob
An ancient multiplication table in clay by a student named Suen-apil-Urim from the 1800s BCE
November 22, 2025 at 8:21 AM
An ancient multiplication table in clay by a student named Suen-apil-Urim from the 1800s BCE