Ashley Patriarca
LightNews LightNews
aspatriarca.bsky.social
Ashley Patriarca
@aspatriarca.bsky.social
990 followers 1.2K following 1.5K posts
Associate prof. Obsessed with dogs, teaching, perfume, romance novels, comics, & risk & crisis communication, not necessarily in that order. AL-NC-VA-PA. She/her. Opinions mine, all mine.
Posts Replies Media Videos
aspatriarca.bsky.social
He is absolutely channeling Ben Affleck in that first one, specifically this image:
Ben Affleck stands in a doorway, eyes closed and looking exhausted /over it all. He has a cigarette in one hand and has shoved the other in his pocket. His entire vibe is muttering "ugh, not this again" under his breath.
August 13, 2025 at 8:37 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
I will add to my previous RT that joy and art are themselves political acts, even if the themes of that art aren't explicitly political. I just finished this embroidery inspired by the work of a recently graduated student, whose work focused on queer joy as an act of resistance.
Negative space embroidery featuring the word "JOY" in all caps. The surrounding stitches feature colors inspired by the Philadelphia Pride Flag, with the edges of each color blending into the next and with variations in shade for each color to signify connection and interdependence.
July 14, 2025 at 12:41 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
The Two and a Half Men theme song is permanently stuck in my head, thanks to this administration and its lackeys. Just one more thing to resent very, very deeply.
Fox news screenshot of a smug jackass "pundit." Chyron reads: "Trump's Manly Tariffs Pundit believes it could reverse crisis in masculinity"
April 9, 2025 at 10:26 AM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
Marty is not a fan of his Christmas present from Chris's brother, but I definitely am 😂 Poor sad floofy boy.
A fuzzy black chow mix hulks out of a size-medium Bryce Harper dog jersey due to his floof. He is lying on a colorful, patterned rug amid the remains of Christmas wrapping paper & boxes. A fuzzy black chow mix hulks out of a size-medium Bryce Harper dog jersey due to his floof. He is sitting hunched over on a colorful patterned rug in the middle of Christmas paper and presents.
December 25, 2024 at 5:19 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
Academia in a nutshell:
Blue neon sign reading "Find what you love and let it kill you"
November 29, 2024 at 6:18 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
Not my pups, but these are two very lovely landclouds I met at a dog show this weekend! Look at how happy they are to be greeting everyone 😄
Two white, fluffy Samoyed pups smile in greeting at the people around them (out of frame). They just participated in a dog show, so they are freshly groomed and even fluffier than usual.
November 21, 2024 at 2:26 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
Chris turned 44 yesterday, so we celebrated by going to Philly for the day and attending maybe the best live How Did This Get Made taping we have ever seen 😄
A white woman with orange hair and glasses grins hugely at the camera, scrunching up her nose. Next to her, a white man with a graying beard smiles happily. Jason Mantzoukas, June Diane Raphael, and Paul Scheer from the How Did This Get Made? podcast pose at the end of their November 2024 live show in Philly. The view is from far above because the photographer was a Balcony Monster.
November 17, 2024 at 4:06 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
One nice thing I did for myself yesterday: met up with a grad school friend & her family at Longwood Gardens to see their new conservatory. It did my heart good to see my friends, and I loved learning about bonsai through their collection.
The stunning new conservatory at Longwood Gardens, a Mediterranean-inspired space that is currently being previewed for members. A Chinese juniper trained in the informal upright (moyogi) bonsai style. Its trunk curves up gracefully, and both brown & white wood is visible, creating a striking contrast through the curves. The foliage is lush and bright green, reaching for the sky. The potting shed at Longwood, the oldest building at Longwood and where bonsai are trained. The space is set up neatly with gardeners' tools and bonsai in the process of being trained. Descriptive signage is positioned to the left for visitors.
November 10, 2024 at 3:15 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
4. Send pet photos.
A black fuzzy chow mix smiles happily while enjoying the afternoon sunshine.
November 10, 2024 at 12:51 AM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
I really wanted something like the werewolf, but my Philly exurb is kind of boring.
A round "I voted" sticker from PA that includes an eagle and "Presidential Election 2024." It's pretty boring and formal in tone.
November 5, 2024 at 11:33 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
Doing my part! Say hi to Marty McFly, the fuzziest, sassiest, bossiest, sweetest little cat-dog you will ever meet. (He has currently bossed me into sitting outside, which was the correct call. Thanks Martyparty!)
A fuzzy, black chow mix opens his eyes wide and smiles up at the camera. A fuzzy, black chow mix curls up in the grass like a cat basking in the sun. He's facing away from the camera because he thinks that if he doesn't acknowledge the person holding it, he won't have to go inside.
November 5, 2024 at 7:40 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
My dog might actually murder me for this one, and I will deserve it if he does:
Marty, a fuzzy black chow mix dog, peeks pitifully up at the camera. He's wearing a green dinosaur costume, and he is not amused with the person who put him in it. Marty, a fuzzy black chow mix dog, side-eyes the camera from below. He's wearing a green dinosaur costume, and he is judging the heck out of the person who put him in it.
October 24, 2024 at 12:33 AM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
Not too shabby - I joined on a U.S. holiday weekend during the invite era 😀
Bluesky celebration graphic indicates I was #216,431 - in the first 10% of all signups
September 16, 2024 at 11:52 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
I love it when the score spells out words, but I really want it to shift over to "HO1P" (or higher) soon 😭
A scoreboard for tonight's Houston Astros-Philadelphia Phillies game. The score is 0-0 & with the Houston & Philly logos, it forms the word "HOOP."
August 26, 2024 at 11:45 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
Starting the Dino (AKA the niece) off right with @gailsimone.bsky.social's run on Batgirl 😍
A child is curled up reading Batgirl in the backseat of a car. You can't see her face, because she is so intent on her reading.
June 19, 2024 at 12:14 AM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
A nearby minor league team is running a contest to put dogs on baseball cards so clearly, I entered Marty.

Fingers crossed that the fuzzy little monster wins!
A fuzzy, floofy black chow mix perches atop a tree stump. He's looking off to the side with a confident, contented smile on his face. He knows he's a Good Boy.
June 5, 2024 at 9:38 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
Andy, NOW I am on a Nice train. (See pic, marking Chris's first Bluesky appearance!)

BEFORE I was on a Grasse train, lol.
A pink-haired white woman wearing glasses and a white bearded man wearing a baseball cap smile broadly at the camera. They're sitting on a train, waiting for it to leave.
May 24, 2024 at 3:37 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
It's Marty's 7th (!) Gotcha Day, and we celebrated with doggy ice cream 😂
Marty, a 10-year-old black chow mix dog, stares directly at the camera. His expression is slightly bemused, like he's experiencing brain freeze, and there's a bowl of doggy ice cream next to him. Marty, a 10-year-old black chow mix, tries to pick up an entire blob of doggy ice cream out of the bowl by biting the ice cream, but he is very unsuccessful. He is also wearing a party hat that reads "Gotcha Day."
March 24, 2024 at 6:32 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
Ahhh! Love Monty. Also, love your taste in rugs - I have the same one! (As well as a floof who also likes to casually stretch out on it).
A white woman with magenta hair smiles at the camera. Behind and just below her is a floofy black dog lying on a Ruggable rug that features an assortment of colorful insects on a real background.
March 22, 2024 at 6:38 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
I can't stop looking at this picture of my happy little dog. Maybe you need a picture of a happy little dog, too?
A fuzzy black dog turns to look at the camera, grinning joyfully. In front of him is a bright pink and red mushroom toy (I KNOW).
March 7, 2024 at 10:00 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
I just keep picturing @afamiglietti.bsky.social cackling gleefully as he puts up this commentary...
Four short messages posted on a wall over a water fountain: the first message, "Take your time," is printed in white on a purple background with tiny yellow stars. It's part of a series of affirmations posted around a university building. The other 3 are handwritten post-its reading "hurry up," "the choice is yours," and "don't be late."
February 23, 2024 at 4:09 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
Marty sends along hope that the day gets so much better. (He is often a very catlike dog, but welcomes all virtual scritches.)
Marty, a fluffy, black, 10-year-old chow mix, looks up at his person, hoping she'll share a bite of whatever she's eating. The camera focuses on his nose and his graying chin, but it's hard to miss how hopeful his eyes are. Marty, a fluffy, black, 10-year-old chow mix, grins happily at the camera. He is in his hammock in the back of the parked car after leaving the dog park. His face is relaxed, and his long, curly tail is wagging. He.is happy and confident, but also very ready to head home for a snack. Marty, a fluffy, black, 10-year-old chow mix, nests under his person's Ikea desk. He misses her while she's at work, so his body language seems a little sad. He's happy to see his backup person, though, and wags his tail to try to get Backup Person to give him a good scritch. Or a snack.
February 19, 2024 at 11:05 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
Redecor decided that the best way to honor the activism of Rosa Parks was for a bunch of casual gamers to make a bus look pretty.
The entry screen for a daily challenge on Redecor, a casual “home decorating” mobile game. The challenge is called “A Tribute to Rosa Parks,” and the goal is to decorate an image of a bus. In the background, a white blonde woman is holding up a card with the Redecor logo. This was published in February 2024. Part of Redecor’s 2/10 daily challenge “honoring” Rosa Parks. It’s a blank image of a vintage bus, ready for casual gamers to decorate.
February 11, 2024 at 1:17 AM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
Seen around the department, and I suspect I know the culprit 😁
Two signs taped to a cinder block wall. Sign #1 reads "Be your most authentic you." Sign #2 is taped to the 1st & reads, "Leave my material alone, plagiarist." - Jack Handy
February 9, 2024 at 5:27 PM
aspatriarca.bsky.social
I took my grandmother to Niki's West for lunch today, which is exactly what we both needed ❤️
An older white woman with glasses smiles at the camera. She's getting ready to eat a delicious "meat-and-three" meal - a meat and three sides (okay, and maybe a roll and some pie for dessert).
January 5, 2024 at 12:48 AM