Robert Lin
@robertl.in
One day, my tweets are all I'll leave behind.
Building #atproto stuff in public bc I believe in an open web.
🧬 robertl.in/xna 📝 robertlin.substack.com
🕰️ @now.robertl.in 📜 @history.robertl.in
🦋 Joined: Feb 6, 2024 📍 Cincinnati, Ohio - USA 🍄 Chaga
Building #atproto stuff in public bc I believe in an open web.
🧬 robertl.in/xna 📝 robertlin.substack.com
🕰️ @now.robertl.in 📜 @history.robertl.in
🦋 Joined: Feb 6, 2024 📍 Cincinnati, Ohio - USA 🍄 Chaga
Yes! Absolutely! Centuries of wisdom is well put!! I love America (we are the country that gave the world McDonalds and Michael Bay! 🥳) but Chinese culture is phenomenal. China has the world's longest continuous history with written records dating back 3,500 years! Lots to learn from China. 🙂
November 11, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Yes! Absolutely! Centuries of wisdom is well put!! I love America (we are the country that gave the world McDonalds and Michael Bay! 🥳) but Chinese culture is phenomenal. China has the world's longest continuous history with written records dating back 3,500 years! Lots to learn from China. 🙂
I've been thinking a lot ab "背水一戰" though. (Maybe an English version of this would be, "Discretion is the better part of valor." Kinda gets at the same meaning. Kinda. 🤔)
Anyway, @pmillerd.com - I'd love to know what your favorite 成語s are. If you have any!
Anyway, @pmillerd.com - I'd love to know what your favorite 成語s are. If you have any!
November 11, 2025 at 11:20 AM
I've been thinking a lot ab "背水一戰" though. (Maybe an English version of this would be, "Discretion is the better part of valor." Kinda gets at the same meaning. Kinda. 🤔)
Anyway, @pmillerd.com - I'd love to know what your favorite 成語s are. If you have any!
Anyway, @pmillerd.com - I'd love to know what your favorite 成語s are. If you have any!
So, nowadays, Chinese ppl use "背水一戰" to mean that sometimes it's not worth winning. It all depends on the cost. Bc when people have nothing left to lose and are desperate, they will often do anything to survive. Literally anything. (I guess, in English we'd say, "Pyrrhic victories aren't worth it.")
November 11, 2025 at 11:12 AM
So, nowadays, Chinese ppl use "背水一戰" to mean that sometimes it's not worth winning. It all depends on the cost. Bc when people have nothing left to lose and are desperate, they will often do anything to survive. Literally anything. (I guess, in English we'd say, "Pyrrhic victories aren't worth it.")
guy's army. He had the dude's battalion cornered w/ their backs against the water+in that moment, he could've crushed the guy's army. But it would've been a fight to the bitter death w/ enormous losses on both sides bc the cornered guy had nothing left to lose and would've fought to every last man.
November 11, 2025 at 11:08 AM
guy's army. He had the dude's battalion cornered w/ their backs against the water+in that moment, he could've crushed the guy's army. But it would've been a fight to the bitter death w/ enormous losses on both sides bc the cornered guy had nothing left to lose and would've fought to every last man.
behind 成語s are super-rich+epic. ( @pmillerd.com - I know you've been in Taiwan so as an American writer I bet you also appreciate this!) Anyway, the latest 成語 that S taught me is "背水一戰". It references a famous historical battle where one famous Chinese commander guy took mercy on another Chinese
November 11, 2025 at 11:03 AM
behind 成語s are super-rich+epic. ( @pmillerd.com - I know you've been in Taiwan so as an American writer I bet you also appreciate this!) Anyway, the latest 成語 that S taught me is "背水一戰". It references a famous historical battle where one famous Chinese commander guy took mercy on another Chinese
and stories. I love English idioms too but English ones are pretty simple. "We're in the same boat"+"two peas in a pod" convey meaning but don't have rich back stories+mythologies. Chinese 成語s, OTHO, are often references to historical events - epic battles around legendary figures. So the semiotics
November 11, 2025 at 10:58 AM
and stories. I love English idioms too but English ones are pretty simple. "We're in the same boat"+"two peas in a pod" convey meaning but don't have rich back stories+mythologies. Chinese 成語s, OTHO, are often references to historical events - epic battles around legendary figures. So the semiotics
I have a pro-tip! I only now play around on bsky when I'm walking on a treadmill. This has really helped me direct my attention, by adding embodied context to specific activies that I only do in certain locales. I batch all my replies into daily walking sessions. It's been a game-changer!
November 11, 2025 at 12:52 AM
I have a pro-tip! I only now play around on bsky when I'm walking on a treadmill. This has really helped me direct my attention, by adding embodied context to specific activies that I only do in certain locales. I batch all my replies into daily walking sessions. It's been a game-changer!
Just watched Scott's talk. TY for sharing! I agree at a high level, but more specifically, what do you think's missing nowadays? IRL gatherings? It's true friendships have plummeted. But ppl are now doing their own things more than ever before. We've increasingly turned to our own interior worlds.
November 11, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Just watched Scott's talk. TY for sharing! I agree at a high level, but more specifically, what do you think's missing nowadays? IRL gatherings? It's true friendships have plummeted. But ppl are now doing their own things more than ever before. We've increasingly turned to our own interior worlds.
Ah, I didn't know about this site. This is very helpful! Ty!!
November 10, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Ah, I didn't know about this site. This is very helpful! Ty!!
Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the info! That makes sense. I didn't know you'd moved on from bsky though. Thanks for everything you did for the platform! What are you up to nowadays? Hope you're taking some time to recharge!
November 10, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the info! That makes sense. I didn't know you'd moved on from bsky though. Thanks for everything you did for the platform! What are you up to nowadays? Hope you're taking some time to recharge!
in an incognito window but I similarly can't see the reply.🤔 I don't subscribe to any block lists so I'm positive I'm not inadvertently filtering people. This has happened to me on several of my posts though. (So apologies in advance if I'm not replying to ppl - it's not my fault! I don't see it! 😭)
November 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
in an incognito window but I similarly can't see the reply.🤔 I don't subscribe to any block lists so I'm positive I'm not inadvertently filtering people. This has happened to me on several of my posts though. (So apologies in advance if I'm not replying to ppl - it's not my fault! I don't see it! 😭)
I love kanji! I don't know why it took me so long, but today I literally just started using kanji to beat the 300 character limit in my bsky skoots! 🙂
The semantic-syntactic compaction of kanji is perfect for microblogging!!
bsky.app/profile/robe...
The semantic-syntactic compaction of kanji is perfect for microblogging!!
bsky.app/profile/robe...
I ❤️ public libraries! I believe you can tell a ton ab a town by its 圖書館. The way it treats its library is a reflection of its values. Is the 圖書館 a dilapidated building or a monument to knowledge+learning?
I'm gonna start sharing every single library I visit!📚
Yesterday: Westerville 圖書館, Ohio
#圖書館
I'm gonna start sharing every single library I visit!📚
Yesterday: Westerville 圖書館, Ohio
#圖書館
November 9, 2025 at 2:34 PM
I love kanji! I don't know why it took me so long, but today I literally just started using kanji to beat the 300 character limit in my bsky skoots! 🙂
The semantic-syntactic compaction of kanji is perfect for microblogging!!
bsky.app/profile/robe...
The semantic-syntactic compaction of kanji is perfect for microblogging!!
bsky.app/profile/robe...
Thanks again for willing Dialectic into existence and all the work you do to showrun it though! It's currently my favorite podcast on the planet and in the universe! Keep up the magnificent work!! You are doing a service for all of humanity and our species is forever in your debt!! ❤️🥳🎉🙏
November 8, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Thanks again for willing Dialectic into existence and all the work you do to showrun it though! It's currently my favorite podcast on the planet and in the universe! Keep up the magnificent work!! You are doing a service for all of humanity and our species is forever in your debt!! ❤️🥳🎉🙏
I just wanted to let you know though, in case it's something you can fix on your side? Personally, I love Spotify's auto-transcription feature & use it to screenshot excerpts I find interesting that I then post here on bsky. If there's anything you can do to enable transcription, I'd be grateful!! 🙏
November 8, 2025 at 1:12 PM
I just wanted to let you know though, in case it's something you can fix on your side? Personally, I love Spotify's auto-transcription feature & use it to screenshot excerpts I find interesting that I then post here on bsky. If there's anything you can do to enable transcription, I'd be grateful!! 🙏
Summary execution for rogue servers at dawn in the public square!! ✊✊✊
November 8, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Summary execution for rogue servers at dawn in the public square!! ✊✊✊
As @gracekind.net has remarked, "bot is a lifestyle choice!" 🙂
November 7, 2025 at 1:50 PM
As @gracekind.net has remarked, "bot is a lifestyle choice!" 🙂
and I'm here for it! I'd actually love to see billionaires more evenly distributed across the US. Now I think harder ab it, I'd LOVE if taxes got so high in NYC that rich ppl fled to places like Ohio and brought all that money with them. Move company headquarters to the Midwest! Spread the wealth!💰💰
November 7, 2025 at 12:28 PM
and I'm here for it! I'd actually love to see billionaires more evenly distributed across the US. Now I think harder ab it, I'd LOVE if taxes got so high in NYC that rich ppl fled to places like Ohio and brought all that money with them. Move company headquarters to the Midwest! Spread the wealth!💰💰
so much that supposed "capital-flight" happens. I am skeptical - they've threatened that for years but I don't see billionaires decamping for NJ just bc NYC taxes the living daylights out of them. Then again, rich ppl have left SF for Texas so it's certainly possible. Z is playing a game of chicken
November 7, 2025 at 12:25 PM
so much that supposed "capital-flight" happens. I am skeptical - they've threatened that for years but I don't see billionaires decamping for NJ just bc NYC taxes the living daylights out of them. Then again, rich ppl have left SF for Texas so it's certainly possible. Z is playing a game of chicken
either succeed & make lives better for everyone (which is great!) or he'll fail spectacularly & we'll then have further evidence to not try democratic socialist measures in the future. Either outcome is valuable.
Personally, I do think it's a fascinating thought experiment of taxing super-rich ppl
Personally, I do think it's a fascinating thought experiment of taxing super-rich ppl
November 7, 2025 at 12:22 PM
either succeed & make lives better for everyone (which is great!) or he'll fail spectacularly & we'll then have further evidence to not try democratic socialist measures in the future. Either outcome is valuable.
Personally, I do think it's a fascinating thought experiment of taxing super-rich ppl
Personally, I do think it's a fascinating thought experiment of taxing super-rich ppl
Zohran to victory. The populace harbored deep dissatisfaction with the current regime & voted for change. This is empiricism in action! This is the dream of America realized!
I do think Z will have significant challenges ahead of him. "Campaign in poetry but govern in prose," as they say. But he'll
I do think Z will have significant challenges ahead of him. "Campaign in poetry but govern in prose," as they say. But he'll
November 7, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Zohran to victory. The populace harbored deep dissatisfaction with the current regime & voted for change. This is empiricism in action! This is the dream of America realized!
I do think Z will have significant challenges ahead of him. "Campaign in poetry but govern in prose," as they say. But he'll
I do think Z will have significant challenges ahead of him. "Campaign in poetry but govern in prose," as they say. But he'll