@bastionbibliophile.bsky.social
Reposted
I LOVE my under-thumb trackball mouse and you will not even pry it from my cold, dead hands.
(For those new to the home game, the reason I'm SO much a convert to trackball mice, the under-thumb version in specific, is that it is a MASSIVE improvement to the wrist, elbow and shoulder discomfort or pain all-day mouse usage used to cause: situate the mouse right, and those are GONE. And this
December 25, 2025 at 3:23 PM
I LOVE my under-thumb trackball mouse and you will not even pry it from my cold, dead hands.
Reposted
He’s just a silly guy. :)
((Also: Commissions are 25% off on my Etsy shop. I’m getting the most beautiful sass master, Jingles, spayed after Christmas!!))
((Also: Commissions are 25% off on my Etsy shop. I’m getting the most beautiful sass master, Jingles, spayed after Christmas!!))
December 21, 2025 at 1:20 AM
He’s just a silly guy. :)
((Also: Commissions are 25% off on my Etsy shop. I’m getting the most beautiful sass master, Jingles, spayed after Christmas!!))
((Also: Commissions are 25% off on my Etsy shop. I’m getting the most beautiful sass master, Jingles, spayed after Christmas!!))
Reposted
Writers, this is your regular reminder: sometimes show, sometimes tell.
December 23, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Writers, this is your regular reminder: sometimes show, sometimes tell.
Reposted
Whoa, vindication for my hot take that my English teachers in high school who graded us on how many annotations we were making in our books doing the opposite of helping people understand what and how to cite things.
I had two teachers expect at least three written annotations per page.
I had two teachers expect at least three written annotations per page.
I think this post nails the actual problem, for researchers at least—AI hallucinations would simply not be a problem in academic work if we’d not normalized citation-as-signaling rather than actual engagement—you can only cite a fake paper if you’re not in the habit of reading the papers you cite
Do not cite an academic paper unless you’ve read it
December 20, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Whoa, vindication for my hot take that my English teachers in high school who graded us on how many annotations we were making in our books doing the opposite of helping people understand what and how to cite things.
I had two teachers expect at least three written annotations per page.
I had two teachers expect at least three written annotations per page.
Reposted
Closing out my year with a journal editor shocker 🧵
Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...
Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...
December 19, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Closing out my year with a journal editor shocker 🧵
Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...
Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...
Reposted
Thank you for the art share!
Hi! My name is Sab, I like drawing ttrpg characters and fantasy
Hi! My name is Sab, I like drawing ttrpg characters and fantasy
December 17, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Thank you for the art share!
Hi! My name is Sab, I like drawing ttrpg characters and fantasy
Hi! My name is Sab, I like drawing ttrpg characters and fantasy
Reposted
Should you refuse to show compassion because you believe it would make you appear weak, then you have misunderstood what strength is. It is honorable to have concern for others, to show empathy and to offer aid to someone in distress. To rebuke this is cowardice, not strength.
December 17, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Should you refuse to show compassion because you believe it would make you appear weak, then you have misunderstood what strength is. It is honorable to have concern for others, to show empathy and to offer aid to someone in distress. To rebuke this is cowardice, not strength.
Reposted
woot!
🎉 It's official – @govpritzker.illinois.gov has signed the NITA Act into law!
This transformative legislation not only fully funds public transit, but delivers critical reforms to ensure our systems serve us better.
Take a moment and join us in thanking our leaders at thanks.savetransit.org!
This transformative legislation not only fully funds public transit, but delivers critical reforms to ensure our systems serve us better.
Take a moment and join us in thanking our leaders at thanks.savetransit.org!
Thank your leaders for saving transit!
The NITA Act is now LAW! Send an email to your elected officials and thank them for taking action to fix AND fund transit in Illinois!
thanks.savetransit.org
December 16, 2025 at 6:01 PM
woot!
Reposted
If we're talking about the alleged rampant scourge of non-disabled "cheaters," it's worth noting that extended time has a huge impact on test scores for disabled students, but only nominal impact on test scores for non-disabled students.
So if someone "doesn't need it?" Let them have it anyway
So if someone "doesn't need it?" Let them have it anyway
December 3, 2025 at 1:03 PM
If we're talking about the alleged rampant scourge of non-disabled "cheaters," it's worth noting that extended time has a huge impact on test scores for disabled students, but only nominal impact on test scores for non-disabled students.
So if someone "doesn't need it?" Let them have it anyway
So if someone "doesn't need it?" Let them have it anyway
Reposted
No-strings-attached, zero-means-testing, no-questions-asked cash payouts have been proven, over and over again, to be the most effective form of charity/aid going.
It gets people in housing, and it saves the state money. We know this. It's fact, not theory.
It gets people in housing, and it saves the state money. We know this. It's fact, not theory.
An Oregon pilot program giving cash to homeless youths sees a staggering reduction in homelessness. The program gave participants $1,000 cash payments each month for two years, and at the end of the project's first phase, 91% of participants reported being in stable housing.
Oregon pilot program giving cash to homeless youths sees staggering reduction in homelessness
The state program gave participants $1,000 cash payments each month for two years. At the end of the project's first phase, 91% of participants reported being in stable housing.
www.streetroots.org
December 3, 2025 at 7:12 AM
No-strings-attached, zero-means-testing, no-questions-asked cash payouts have been proven, over and over again, to be the most effective form of charity/aid going.
It gets people in housing, and it saves the state money. We know this. It's fact, not theory.
It gets people in housing, and it saves the state money. We know this. It's fact, not theory.
Reposted
call me crazy but i do think there should be one political party that aligns 100% with my opinion that leopards should NOT be eating people's faces, you can settle for a choice of one party wanting to help the leopards, the other just wanting to watch, but some of us have standards you know
There is an extraordinary sense of entitlement behind the belief that there ought to be political party that aligns 100% with your own opinions.
November 30, 2025 at 12:45 AM
call me crazy but i do think there should be one political party that aligns 100% with my opinion that leopards should NOT be eating people's faces, you can settle for a choice of one party wanting to help the leopards, the other just wanting to watch, but some of us have standards you know
Reposted
This is one of the things that's often missing from online discussions of anti-capitalist theory. The question that actually determines our socioeconomic status and fate is this:
Do you live off what you're paid for your own labor, or off the profits you draw from the labor of others?
Do you live off what you're paid for your own labor, or off the profits you draw from the labor of others?
I can’t believe you idiots are still arguing with me about this. Idc what your job is paying you now, you still have to labor for your money. You’re working class.
All it takes is an unfortunate accident or illness for you to be in the poor house. Medical debt and fallout would cripple you. Stfu.
All it takes is an unfortunate accident or illness for you to be in the poor house. Medical debt and fallout would cripple you. Stfu.
All of you are poor. These hypothetical poor people everyone is discussing are us. We’re poor. Idc if you make 6 figures or not. You’re poor too.
November 30, 2025 at 8:01 PM
This is one of the things that's often missing from online discussions of anti-capitalist theory. The question that actually determines our socioeconomic status and fate is this:
Do you live off what you're paid for your own labor, or off the profits you draw from the labor of others?
Do you live off what you're paid for your own labor, or off the profits you draw from the labor of others?
Reposted
to keep functioning, society has to discourage baldfaced lying, especially by authorities
Body cam shows an immigration agent asking ChatGPT for help writing a report:
“During surveillance in the area, I observed a male subject loitering while seated in a vehicle. Based on his behavior, I approached and initiated a consensual encounter.”
ICYMI:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/28/b...
“During surveillance in the area, I observed a male subject loitering while seated in a vehicle. Based on his behavior, I approached and initiated a consensual encounter.”
ICYMI:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/28/b...
Bodycam footage from Operation Midway Blitz released: ‘It’s all about arresting people’
The group of videos made public through the Loevy & Loevy law firm includes footage from agents who responded to controversial arrest operations in the Little Village and Irving Park neighborho…
www.chicagotribune.com
December 1, 2025 at 5:52 PM
to keep functioning, society has to discourage baldfaced lying, especially by authorities
Reposted
No matter how hard people try to convince us having empathy is wrong,
it is right.
No matter how hard people try to convince us that diversity is a weakness,
it is a strength.
No matter how hard people try to convince us that love is limited,
it is unlimited.
it is right.
No matter how hard people try to convince us that diversity is a weakness,
it is a strength.
No matter how hard people try to convince us that love is limited,
it is unlimited.
November 4, 2025 at 2:55 AM
No matter how hard people try to convince us having empathy is wrong,
it is right.
No matter how hard people try to convince us that diversity is a weakness,
it is a strength.
No matter how hard people try to convince us that love is limited,
it is unlimited.
it is right.
No matter how hard people try to convince us that diversity is a weakness,
it is a strength.
No matter how hard people try to convince us that love is limited,
it is unlimited.
Reposted
I would rather have a world where we all trust each other and accept that a few people will take advantage of it than a world where folks have to perform disability constantly in order to get the help they need. Let kids have an extra 30 minutes on the test, jesus fucking christ
December 2, 2025 at 8:32 PM
I would rather have a world where we all trust each other and accept that a few people will take advantage of it than a world where folks have to perform disability constantly in order to get the help they need. Let kids have an extra 30 minutes on the test, jesus fucking christ
Reposted
👇
I'd only receive UBI because giving it to everyone is cheaper than means-testing.
But while it wouldn't make a dramatic material difference to me, it would massively ease my worries about my son and members of my extended family.
But while it wouldn't make a dramatic material difference to me, it would massively ease my worries about my son and members of my extended family.
Honest question: If everyone got Universal Basic Income, no strings attached, what would YOU do with it?
Re-post with your quote or drop your take below.
Re-post with your quote or drop your take below.
November 29, 2025 at 2:43 PM
👇
Reposted
This is an issue I'm running into in my WIP novel set around the West Virginia mining wars: one antagonist is a self-made mine owner whose employees are threatening to unionize. A lot of research went into him; his dialogue is practically verbatim quotes from real people. He seems like a caricature!
the hardest part of writing politically charged fiction is that a good villain needs to be complex, cool and about as right as the protagonist; while evil people in real life are lame, cruel, childish morons motivated by greed or not wanting to look at minorities
November 29, 2025 at 11:50 AM
This is an issue I'm running into in my WIP novel set around the West Virginia mining wars: one antagonist is a self-made mine owner whose employees are threatening to unionize. A lot of research went into him; his dialogue is practically verbatim quotes from real people. He seems like a caricature!
Reposted
Pretty much the same as I already do, but in a better, less feral society.
Probably enjoy the art being made, smile at the kids with more security in their lives, shop at the stores made more viable by there being more money in their customers’ pockets.
Probably enjoy the art being made, smile at the kids with more security in their lives, shop at the stores made more viable by there being more money in their customers’ pockets.
Honest question: If everyone got Universal Basic Income, no strings attached, what would YOU do with it?
Re-post with your quote or drop your take below.
Re-post with your quote or drop your take below.
November 29, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Pretty much the same as I already do, but in a better, less feral society.
Probably enjoy the art being made, smile at the kids with more security in their lives, shop at the stores made more viable by there being more money in their customers’ pockets.
Probably enjoy the art being made, smile at the kids with more security in their lives, shop at the stores made more viable by there being more money in their customers’ pockets.
Reposted
The problem with fetishizing the rule of law is that people have to break the law to resist fascism, state violence, and oppression. This has always been true, and is very much the case RIGHT NOW.
November 29, 2025 at 1:44 AM
The problem with fetishizing the rule of law is that people have to break the law to resist fascism, state violence, and oppression. This has always been true, and is very much the case RIGHT NOW.
Reposted
"there are no third spaces anymore" wrong. blast furnace
November 25, 2025 at 12:59 AM
"there are no third spaces anymore" wrong. blast furnace
Reposted
The problem with ICE is not that it's targeting people who aren't criminals. The problem with ICE is that it's an unaccountable secret deportation police. It cannot be reformed under a better president. It can be made less terrible, but the instrument of repression remains for the next tyrant.
November 26, 2025 at 5:04 PM
The problem with ICE is not that it's targeting people who aren't criminals. The problem with ICE is that it's an unaccountable secret deportation police. It cannot be reformed under a better president. It can be made less terrible, but the instrument of repression remains for the next tyrant.
Reposted
Journalist challenge: Use “Machine Learning” when you mean machine learning and “LLM” when you mean LLM. Ditch “AI” as a catch-all term, it’s not useful for readers and it helps companies trying to confuse the public by obscuring the roles played by different technologies. 🧪
November 22, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Journalist challenge: Use “Machine Learning” when you mean machine learning and “LLM” when you mean LLM. Ditch “AI” as a catch-all term, it’s not useful for readers and it helps companies trying to confuse the public by obscuring the roles played by different technologies. 🧪