Bill Shein
@billshein.bsky.social
Writer. Journalist. Friend to animals. Founder/Editor berkshireargus.com.
“Cat and Part of Dog Behind Wood Stove as Work Day Begins, Making Clear They Will Not Contribute to Remunerative Work Today” (Sotheby’s Lot No. 375582, bidding starts 12:00 noon ET, $15,000 starting bid.)
November 12, 2025 at 2:47 PM
“Cat and Part of Dog Behind Wood Stove as Work Day Begins, Making Clear They Will Not Contribute to Remunerative Work Today” (Sotheby’s Lot No. 375582, bidding starts 12:00 noon ET, $15,000 starting bid.)
He’s wrapping up after a full day of … this.
November 12, 2025 at 1:33 AM
He’s wrapping up after a full day of … this.
Um, that seems like a lot.
November 11, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Um, that seems like a lot.
Managed to fill 200GB of iCloud storage as follows (estimates):
Cat: 95 GB
Dog #1: 70GB
Dog #2: 20GB
Partner: 6GB
Me and partner: 4GB
Unusual moles sent urgently to dermatologist: 500MB
Text I can’t read without photographing & enlarging: 400MB
Everything else: 4.1GB
Now Apple wants $10/mo 🤷♂️
Cat: 95 GB
Dog #1: 70GB
Dog #2: 20GB
Partner: 6GB
Me and partner: 4GB
Unusual moles sent urgently to dermatologist: 500MB
Text I can’t read without photographing & enlarging: 400MB
Everything else: 4.1GB
Now Apple wants $10/mo 🤷♂️
November 8, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Managed to fill 200GB of iCloud storage as follows (estimates):
Cat: 95 GB
Dog #1: 70GB
Dog #2: 20GB
Partner: 6GB
Me and partner: 4GB
Unusual moles sent urgently to dermatologist: 500MB
Text I can’t read without photographing & enlarging: 400MB
Everything else: 4.1GB
Now Apple wants $10/mo 🤷♂️
Cat: 95 GB
Dog #1: 70GB
Dog #2: 20GB
Partner: 6GB
Me and partner: 4GB
Unusual moles sent urgently to dermatologist: 500MB
Text I can’t read without photographing & enlarging: 400MB
Everything else: 4.1GB
Now Apple wants $10/mo 🤷♂️
#philately friends: What do you make of this discovery? Appears to be a very early list of post offices printed in 1811. No front cover, very delicate, trying not to touch it (I’ve turned pages only using the power of my mind.)
November 8, 2025 at 8:09 PM
#philately friends: What do you make of this discovery? Appears to be a very early list of post offices printed in 1811. No front cover, very delicate, trying not to touch it (I’ve turned pages only using the power of my mind.)
Not just illustrated, friends. PROFUSELY illustrated. Yes, abundantly, copiously, lavishly, generously, and perhaps excessively illustrated.
Also: Adding the word “profusely” reportedly increased 1899 fiscal-year sales by 400 percent, according to data that I just made up.
Also: Adding the word “profusely” reportedly increased 1899 fiscal-year sales by 400 percent, according to data that I just made up.
November 7, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Not just illustrated, friends. PROFUSELY illustrated. Yes, abundantly, copiously, lavishly, generously, and perhaps excessively illustrated.
Also: Adding the word “profusely” reportedly increased 1899 fiscal-year sales by 400 percent, according to data that I just made up.
Also: Adding the word “profusely” reportedly increased 1899 fiscal-year sales by 400 percent, according to data that I just made up.
I’m sorting through a big lot of covers and discovering interesting stories.
Here’s one sent in 1943 by a Japanese-American Shinto priest from an internment camp in Honolulu. The FBI believed he had dangerous connections to Japan because of his religious training, beliefs and activities. #philately
Here’s one sent in 1943 by a Japanese-American Shinto priest from an internment camp in Honolulu. The FBI believed he had dangerous connections to Japan because of his religious training, beliefs and activities. #philately
November 6, 2025 at 5:34 PM
I’m sorting through a big lot of covers and discovering interesting stories.
Here’s one sent in 1943 by a Japanese-American Shinto priest from an internment camp in Honolulu. The FBI believed he had dangerous connections to Japan because of his religious training, beliefs and activities. #philately
Here’s one sent in 1943 by a Japanese-American Shinto priest from an internment camp in Honolulu. The FBI believed he had dangerous connections to Japan because of his religious training, beliefs and activities. #philately
Stamp collecting inspires children to … parade?
November 6, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Stamp collecting inspires children to … parade?
May I suggest an easy way to do this? Get a dog.
November 6, 2025 at 2:19 AM
May I suggest an easy way to do this? Get a dog.
Cleverly laying the seeds of the climate “hoax” … all the way back in 1984. From “The White House Effect” (2025/Netflix)
November 5, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Cleverly laying the seeds of the climate “hoax” … all the way back in 1984. From “The White House Effect” (2025/Netflix)
… which will lead to more listings like this
November 5, 2025 at 9:44 PM
… which will lead to more listings like this
What a great opportunity! A job as a journalist who helps to eliminate jobs in journalism.
“As an AI Trainer - Junior Journalist, your work will help train AI models, shaping how they understand and generate human-like text.”
“As an AI Trainer - Junior Journalist, your work will help train AI models, shaping how they understand and generate human-like text.”
November 5, 2025 at 9:41 PM
What a great opportunity! A job as a journalist who helps to eliminate jobs in journalism.
“As an AI Trainer - Junior Journalist, your work will help train AI models, shaping how they understand and generate human-like text.”
“As an AI Trainer - Junior Journalist, your work will help train AI models, shaping how they understand and generate human-like text.”
Probably time for legislation that changes who enforces the Hatch Act, because right now it's the executive branch's Office of Special Counsel.
Odds they'll investigate/sanction these messages all over official government websites? Ten billiony billion to one.
Odds they'll investigate/sanction these messages all over official government websites? Ten billiony billion to one.
November 5, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Probably time for legislation that changes who enforces the Hatch Act, because right now it's the executive branch's Office of Special Counsel.
Odds they'll investigate/sanction these messages all over official government websites? Ten billiony billion to one.
Odds they'll investigate/sanction these messages all over official government websites? Ten billiony billion to one.
And found this at a link in that wiki piece. Didn’t realize “Cinderella” included such a long list of things.
November 4, 2025 at 4:28 PM
And found this at a link in that wiki piece. Didn’t realize “Cinderella” included such a long list of things.
I got the book from the library yesterday. It’s a tome! Almost 900 pages almost entirely about technical issues. A whole chapter on gum!
November 4, 2025 at 4:13 PM
I got the book from the library yesterday. It’s a tome! Almost 900 pages almost entirely about technical issues. A whole chapter on gum!
Sure, plenty of people collect “stamps on stamps” stamps. It’s a lovely niche of #philately (and one that M.C. Escher would love…)
But how many collect what I do? Yes, I mean the smaller philatelic niche of “stamps on stamps on stamps on stamps on stamps.”
Extremely rare and VERY valuable.
But how many collect what I do? Yes, I mean the smaller philatelic niche of “stamps on stamps on stamps on stamps on stamps.”
Extremely rare and VERY valuable.
November 4, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Sure, plenty of people collect “stamps on stamps” stamps. It’s a lovely niche of #philately (and one that M.C. Escher would love…)
But how many collect what I do? Yes, I mean the smaller philatelic niche of “stamps on stamps on stamps on stamps on stamps.”
Extremely rare and VERY valuable.
But how many collect what I do? Yes, I mean the smaller philatelic niche of “stamps on stamps on stamps on stamps on stamps.”
Extremely rare and VERY valuable.
UPDATE
(Watch this space for thousands more like this.)
(Watch this space for thousands more like this.)
November 3, 2025 at 1:33 AM
UPDATE
(Watch this space for thousands more like this.)
(Watch this space for thousands more like this.)
With a fire going for the first time this fall, Dog #2 and cat have settled in behind the wood stove for the winter. They will be there, largely without moving, until April. Will keep you updated with any urgent or late-breaking updates.
November 2, 2025 at 11:48 PM
With a fire going for the first time this fall, Dog #2 and cat have settled in behind the wood stove for the winter. They will be there, largely without moving, until April. Will keep you updated with any urgent or late-breaking updates.
“November Sunday Afternoon Dog Walk Excerpt Part Four,”which received a “Thank you for your submission” award email from the South by South by South by Southwest by Northeast and, Once Again for Emphasis, by Southwest Festival.
November 2, 2025 at 8:36 PM
“November Sunday Afternoon Dog Walk Excerpt Part Four,”which received a “Thank you for your submission” award email from the South by South by South by Southwest by Northeast and, Once Again for Emphasis, by Southwest Festival.
Someone—not saying who—is ready for a walk.
November 1, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Someone—not saying who—is ready for a walk.