Ralph Snyder
@ralphsnyder.bsky.social
I post and repost about books, philosophy, art, history, photography, random observations, and, sometimes, just silly stuff.
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
I felt like making some art last night/today and could have made something beautiful and/or meaningful but I made this instead.
It's a Barbie Yaga Malibu Dream Hut.
No regrets. Can't defeat fascism without joy.
It's a Barbie Yaga Malibu Dream Hut.
No regrets. Can't defeat fascism without joy.
January 9, 2026 at 4:20 AM
I felt like making some art last night/today and could have made something beautiful and/or meaningful but I made this instead.
It's a Barbie Yaga Malibu Dream Hut.
No regrets. Can't defeat fascism without joy.
It's a Barbie Yaga Malibu Dream Hut.
No regrets. Can't defeat fascism without joy.
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
This below is re ICE on Bluesky
Wld ALSO point out tho that some blocklists may have mistakes or cld even be malicious/weaponized by bad actors
(I mistakenly posted AI slop once for about 15 minutes, apologized, took it down, have apparently been on somebody's block list ever since
*chagrin*)
Wld ALSO point out tho that some blocklists may have mistakes or cld even be malicious/weaponized by bad actors
(I mistakenly posted AI slop once for about 15 minutes, apologized, took it down, have apparently been on somebody's block list ever since
*chagrin*)
They're already on blocklists, thankfully
January 17, 2026 at 7:01 AM
This below is re ICE on Bluesky
Wld ALSO point out tho that some blocklists may have mistakes or cld even be malicious/weaponized by bad actors
(I mistakenly posted AI slop once for about 15 minutes, apologized, took it down, have apparently been on somebody's block list ever since
*chagrin*)
Wld ALSO point out tho that some blocklists may have mistakes or cld even be malicious/weaponized by bad actors
(I mistakenly posted AI slop once for about 15 minutes, apologized, took it down, have apparently been on somebody's block list ever since
*chagrin*)
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
Crows in Winter - N.C. Wyeth, 1941
January 16, 2026 at 12:10 PM
Crows in Winter - N.C. Wyeth, 1941
🗃 Why am I only now learning that the Mongols sacked Baghdad in 1258?
Fascinating book 📚💬 "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World" by Jack Weatherford,
In which I also learned that the Mongols invaded Europe as far as Vienna,
1/2
Fascinating book 📚💬 "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World" by Jack Weatherford,
In which I also learned that the Mongols invaded Europe as far as Vienna,
1/2
January 16, 2026 at 10:55 PM
🗃 Why am I only now learning that the Mongols sacked Baghdad in 1258?
Fascinating book 📚💬 "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World" by Jack Weatherford,
In which I also learned that the Mongols invaded Europe as far as Vienna,
1/2
Fascinating book 📚💬 "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World" by Jack Weatherford,
In which I also learned that the Mongols invaded Europe as far as Vienna,
1/2
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
👣 Love this Bowl with Human Feet which is almost 6,000 years old! Egypt, Nile clay, ca. 3700–3450 B.C.
The bowl which has a beautiful polished surface is very similar in form to the Egyptian hieroglyph meaning "to bring."
🏛️ Met
🏺 🗃️ #arthistory #skystorians #ancientbluesky #archaeology #Egypt
The bowl which has a beautiful polished surface is very similar in form to the Egyptian hieroglyph meaning "to bring."
🏛️ Met
🏺 🗃️ #arthistory #skystorians #ancientbluesky #archaeology #Egypt
January 14, 2026 at 8:29 AM
👣 Love this Bowl with Human Feet which is almost 6,000 years old! Egypt, Nile clay, ca. 3700–3450 B.C.
The bowl which has a beautiful polished surface is very similar in form to the Egyptian hieroglyph meaning "to bring."
🏛️ Met
🏺 🗃️ #arthistory #skystorians #ancientbluesky #archaeology #Egypt
The bowl which has a beautiful polished surface is very similar in form to the Egyptian hieroglyph meaning "to bring."
🏛️ Met
🏺 🗃️ #arthistory #skystorians #ancientbluesky #archaeology #Egypt
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
I followed a few accounts that post climate data. Now when I look at the Discover feed, there's usually an out-of-date daily weather forecast for a place where I don't live, like Ontario or Cambodia.
January 15, 2026 at 5:22 AM
I followed a few accounts that post climate data. Now when I look at the Discover feed, there's usually an out-of-date daily weather forecast for a place where I don't live, like Ontario or Cambodia.
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
Check on people who don’t have a good relationship with their families; sometimes, they do not be doing ok.
January 13, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Check on people who don’t have a good relationship with their families; sometimes, they do not be doing ok.
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it. — Albert Einstein (Letter to California student E. Holzapfel (March 1951) Einstein Archive 59-1013, p. 57 - Albert Einstein: The Human Side (1979))
January 14, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it. — Albert Einstein (Letter to California student E. Holzapfel (March 1951) Einstein Archive 59-1013, p. 57 - Albert Einstein: The Human Side (1979))
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
The caricature of French functionaries among those who inhabit the island of my birth is that they are petty and vindictive and silly.
The reality, I am discovering, is that they are (in very large part) some of the nicest, most patient, most charming people you could hope to meet.
YMMV
The reality, I am discovering, is that they are (in very large part) some of the nicest, most patient, most charming people you could hope to meet.
YMMV
January 13, 2026 at 8:24 PM
The caricature of French functionaries among those who inhabit the island of my birth is that they are petty and vindictive and silly.
The reality, I am discovering, is that they are (in very large part) some of the nicest, most patient, most charming people you could hope to meet.
YMMV
The reality, I am discovering, is that they are (in very large part) some of the nicest, most patient, most charming people you could hope to meet.
YMMV
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
Excited and nervous about this event. Ah yes, 2026 is 2026-ing. 😊: brittlepaper.com/2026/01/nned...
Nnedi Okorafor to Deliver Prestigious Terry Lectureship at Yale University
Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor will deliver the Dwight H. Terry Lectureship at Yale University on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Established in 1905, the Terry Lecturesh...
brittlepaper.com
January 13, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Excited and nervous about this event. Ah yes, 2026 is 2026-ing. 😊: brittlepaper.com/2026/01/nned...
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches & seizures, shall not be violated...."
ICE GOONs are Involved in a Crime Agianst Our Constitution...
We Are Way Beyond Constitutional Crisis
#AbolishICE #ICEout #DefundICE #Resist
#Minneapolis
We Are Way Beyond Constitutional Crisis
#AbolishICE #ICEout #DefundICE #Resist
#Minneapolis
January 13, 2026 at 1:17 PM
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches & seizures, shall not be violated...."
📚💬 #bookskychat
Burton Mack, "Who Wrote the New Testament?"
The earliest -- well you can't call them Christians, yet; so Mack calls them the "The Jesus People" -- was a counter-cultural movement. They were looking for an alternative to the violent, fractured Roman society.
1/3
Burton Mack, "Who Wrote the New Testament?"
The earliest -- well you can't call them Christians, yet; so Mack calls them the "The Jesus People" -- was a counter-cultural movement. They were looking for an alternative to the violent, fractured Roman society.
1/3
January 11, 2026 at 11:21 PM
📚💬 #bookskychat
Burton Mack, "Who Wrote the New Testament?"
The earliest -- well you can't call them Christians, yet; so Mack calls them the "The Jesus People" -- was a counter-cultural movement. They were looking for an alternative to the violent, fractured Roman society.
1/3
Burton Mack, "Who Wrote the New Testament?"
The earliest -- well you can't call them Christians, yet; so Mack calls them the "The Jesus People" -- was a counter-cultural movement. They were looking for an alternative to the violent, fractured Roman society.
1/3
📚💬 #bookskychat
Burton Mack, "Who Wrote the New Testament?"
Peter, John, and James have an interesting career.
Paul (circa 50 CE) cites the with respect, calling them "The Pillars."
Mark derides them as fools who cannot understand what Jesus is about.
1/2
Burton Mack, "Who Wrote the New Testament?"
Peter, John, and James have an interesting career.
Paul (circa 50 CE) cites the with respect, calling them "The Pillars."
Mark derides them as fools who cannot understand what Jesus is about.
1/2
January 11, 2026 at 10:56 PM
📚💬 #bookskychat
Burton Mack, "Who Wrote the New Testament?"
Peter, John, and James have an interesting career.
Paul (circa 50 CE) cites the with respect, calling them "The Pillars."
Mark derides them as fools who cannot understand what Jesus is about.
1/2
Burton Mack, "Who Wrote the New Testament?"
Peter, John, and James have an interesting career.
Paul (circa 50 CE) cites the with respect, calling them "The Pillars."
Mark derides them as fools who cannot understand what Jesus is about.
1/2
📚💬 #booksky
Burton Mack, 'Who Wrote the New Testament"
There were no apostles until Luke invented them somewhere between 80 and 90 CE.
There was no apostolic succession until the second century when the bishops invented it to bolster their authority.
Burton Mack, 'Who Wrote the New Testament"
There were no apostles until Luke invented them somewhere between 80 and 90 CE.
There was no apostolic succession until the second century when the bishops invented it to bolster their authority.
January 11, 2026 at 10:43 PM
📚💬 #booksky
Burton Mack, 'Who Wrote the New Testament"
There were no apostles until Luke invented them somewhere between 80 and 90 CE.
There was no apostolic succession until the second century when the bishops invented it to bolster their authority.
Burton Mack, 'Who Wrote the New Testament"
There were no apostles until Luke invented them somewhere between 80 and 90 CE.
There was no apostolic succession until the second century when the bishops invented it to bolster their authority.
📚💬 @bookskychat
Burton Mack, "Who Wrote the New Testament.
Antisemitism and supercessionism weren't a thing until after the destruction of the Temple (70 CE) and the Gospel of Mark.
1/3
Burton Mack, "Who Wrote the New Testament.
Antisemitism and supercessionism weren't a thing until after the destruction of the Temple (70 CE) and the Gospel of Mark.
1/3
January 11, 2026 at 10:09 PM
📚💬 @bookskychat
Burton Mack, "Who Wrote the New Testament.
Antisemitism and supercessionism weren't a thing until after the destruction of the Temple (70 CE) and the Gospel of Mark.
1/3
Burton Mack, "Who Wrote the New Testament.
Antisemitism and supercessionism weren't a thing until after the destruction of the Temple (70 CE) and the Gospel of Mark.
1/3
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
You aren't a failure, this is how this system is meant to work. They want woman to get pregnant. It's also meant to make you feel like you failed. Don't take on what's not yours! I know how hard that is, I never listened when ppl told me the same thing. You are doing all you can in a broken system ❤️🩹
January 9, 2026 at 9:09 PM
You aren't a failure, this is how this system is meant to work. They want woman to get pregnant. It's also meant to make you feel like you failed. Don't take on what's not yours! I know how hard that is, I never listened when ppl told me the same thing. You are doing all you can in a broken system ❤️🩹
Indeed, it is. A big one
"She was shot like that dog you killed."
Cruelty to animals is a red flag
Cruelty to animals is a red flag
Brutally beautifully said.
January 10, 2026 at 3:34 AM
Indeed, it is. A big one
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
January 9, 2026 at 12:58 PM
Despite what people say, we are not living in 1984.
We are living in a mash-up of 1984 and Brave New World
We are living in a mash-up of 1984 and Brave New World
January 9, 2026 at 12:05 AM
Despite what people say, we are not living in 1984.
We are living in a mash-up of 1984 and Brave New World
We are living in a mash-up of 1984 and Brave New World
📚💬 #bookskychat
Burton L. Mack, "Who Wrote the New Testament?"
(I'll try to write a fuller review when I've finished)
What a wild ride. Almost nothing means what we think it means.
Burton L. Mack, "Who Wrote the New Testament?"
(I'll try to write a fuller review when I've finished)
What a wild ride. Almost nothing means what we think it means.
January 8, 2026 at 11:23 PM
📚💬 #bookskychat
Burton L. Mack, "Who Wrote the New Testament?"
(I'll try to write a fuller review when I've finished)
What a wild ride. Almost nothing means what we think it means.
Burton L. Mack, "Who Wrote the New Testament?"
(I'll try to write a fuller review when I've finished)
What a wild ride. Almost nothing means what we think it means.
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
Wheelchair accessibility might be my latest hyperfixation. Please send me all your wheelchair related info
January 8, 2026 at 12:36 PM
Wheelchair accessibility might be my latest hyperfixation. Please send me all your wheelchair related info
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
Merry Christmas (Olde Calendar)
January 7, 2026 at 2:44 AM
Merry Christmas (Olde Calendar)
Reposted by Ralph Snyder
Spending time at the library is honestly super therapeutic. Like, even if I'm not reading a book it's just a nice space to exist in for drawing or whatnot.
January 6, 2026 at 12:47 AM
Spending time at the library is honestly super therapeutic. Like, even if I'm not reading a book it's just a nice space to exist in for drawing or whatnot.
Wonderful news from Falls Church Arts! www.fallschurchindependent.com/f-c-arts-wom...
F.C. Arts: 'Women Artists of the DMV' Opens Jan. 10; 'Kinship' People's Choice & Juror's Prizes
60 Contemporary Artists Working in a Wide Range of Media to be Showcased. This groundbreaking survey of female visual artists from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia was selected by D.C....
www.fallschurchindependent.com
January 6, 2026 at 9:57 PM