Sam Wall
@samwall.bsky.social
Death doula, writer, CSWA, counselor, jackalope wrangler. Former Co-director at Scarleteen.com. I write about sex, death, and monsters.
Hire me! https://morningstardeathdoula.com/
https://samwallcswa.my.canva.site/
Hire me! https://morningstardeathdoula.com/
https://samwallcswa.my.canva.site/
Pinned
Sam Wall
@samwall.bsky.social
· Nov 22
Since transitioning to death doula work, one goal has been to offer remote services to LGBTQ+folks across the state. As of now, the following are available:
Death doula: Legacy planning, deathbed ecosystem planning, coordinating support, and remote forms of companionship.
Death doula: Legacy planning, deathbed ecosystem planning, coordinating support, and remote forms of companionship.
Reposted by Sam Wall
The ”Women fight for Conrad Veidt” slogan was very real and used to market the formerly German, newly-minted British film star, recently released after being detained by the Nazis
December 9, 2025 at 4:27 PM
The ”Women fight for Conrad Veidt” slogan was very real and used to market the formerly German, newly-minted British film star, recently released after being detained by the Nazis
Reposted by Sam Wall
Prisoners who stay in touch with people at home while locked up are less likely to return to prison.
When released prisoners are convicted and sent back to prison, it means job security for public employees and more revenues for for-profit prisons.
Capitalism runs on incentives.
When released prisoners are convicted and sent back to prison, it means job security for public employees and more revenues for for-profit prisons.
Capitalism runs on incentives.
Prison telecom companies and more than a dozen red-state attorneys have challenged imposing limits on the cost of phone calls from prison, arguing that they would deprive lockups of necessary funding.
Priced Out of Phone Calls Home
The FCC blocked Biden-era limits on the exorbitant rates and fees charged by prison telecom companies, leaving incarcerated people and their families to fight for state-level reforms.
boltsmag.org
December 9, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Prisoners who stay in touch with people at home while locked up are less likely to return to prison.
When released prisoners are convicted and sent back to prison, it means job security for public employees and more revenues for for-profit prisons.
Capitalism runs on incentives.
When released prisoners are convicted and sent back to prison, it means job security for public employees and more revenues for for-profit prisons.
Capitalism runs on incentives.
Reposted by Sam Wall
December 6, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Reposted by Sam Wall
What a story by @tomandlorenzo.bsky.social about Rachel Harlow Billebault, the trans nightclub queen of Philly who after decades out of the spotlight, is again ready for her close-up.
Harlow's still here
Fifty years ago, Harlow was the queen of Philadelphia nightlife, Jack Kelly’s girlfriend, and the city's most famous transgender woman. Today, she’s ready to tell her story.
www.inquirer.com
December 6, 2025 at 11:10 PM
What a story by @tomandlorenzo.bsky.social about Rachel Harlow Billebault, the trans nightclub queen of Philly who after decades out of the spotlight, is again ready for her close-up.
Reposted by Sam Wall
"There are no jail licensing requirements in Mississippi, except for spaces used to house certain mental health patients. State officials don't tour or inspect local jails. Grand juries routinely tour the jails, but their reports are ... are often ignored and lack an enforcement mechanism."
At least 46 people have died in Mississippi’s county jails since 2020, according to lawsuits, news reports and law enforcement records reviewed by The Marshall Project - Jackson. But those lost lives do not appear in any official statistics or records.
No One Knows How Many People Die in Mississippi’s Jails. Here’s Why.
From medical neglect to suicide, the lack of information on jail deaths can allow the same deadly problems to lead to more deaths.
www.themarshallproject.org
November 27, 2025 at 10:19 PM
"There are no jail licensing requirements in Mississippi, except for spaces used to house certain mental health patients. State officials don't tour or inspect local jails. Grand juries routinely tour the jails, but their reports are ... are often ignored and lack an enforcement mechanism."
Reposted by Sam Wall
It's with heavy hearts that we share that Claude, our beloved albino alligator, has passed away at the age of 30. Claude brought joy to millions of people at the Academy and across the world during his 17 year tenure. We will miss him dearly. 🤍
December 2, 2025 at 10:22 PM
It's with heavy hearts that we share that Claude, our beloved albino alligator, has passed away at the age of 30. Claude brought joy to millions of people at the Academy and across the world during his 17 year tenure. We will miss him dearly. 🤍
Reposted by Sam Wall
Never believe the fuckers who say "why bother, they already won"
NEWS: The Institute of Museum & Library Services has restored ALL previously canceled federal grants to libraries, following a ruling by a federal judge in Rhode Island last month.
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
December 3, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Never believe the fuckers who say "why bother, they already won"
Reposted by Sam Wall
Love @colindickey.com's cultural criticism and this is a really intriguing four-part series on the weird, clunky, void spaces proliterating around us, which he (rightly!) connects to a legacy of gothic aesthetics.
WITHOUT CARE (1) – HILOBROW
www.hilobrow.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Love @colindickey.com's cultural criticism and this is a really intriguing four-part series on the weird, clunky, void spaces proliterating around us, which he (rightly!) connects to a legacy of gothic aesthetics.
Reposted by Sam Wall
Daily bunny no.3156 can give you some recommendations
December 2, 2025 at 5:03 AM
Daily bunny no.3156 can give you some recommendations
Reposted by Sam Wall
The OpenAI ruling writers should know about 👀 (if your work was scraped for LLM training, this affects you). www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...
OpenAI Loses Key Discovery Battle as It Cedes Ground to Authors in AI Lawsuits
The issue has been a major battleground in discovery. OpenAI could be on the hook for hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars if it was aware it was infringing on copyrighted material.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:47 PM
The OpenAI ruling writers should know about 👀 (if your work was scraped for LLM training, this affects you). www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...
Reposted by Sam Wall
This is a fantastic longread on a community in Oregon that was wrestling with a groundwater contamination crisis...and then Amazon moved in and made it so much worse. It's also an interesting story on how a Republican rancher/elected officials got radicalized by that crisis.
'The Precedent Is Flint': How Oregon's Data Center Boom Is Supercharging a Water Crisis
Amazon data centers constructed in eastern Oregon's farmland have worsened a water pollution problem that’s been linked to cancer and miscarriages.
www.rollingstone.com
November 29, 2025 at 4:01 PM
This is a fantastic longread on a community in Oregon that was wrestling with a groundwater contamination crisis...and then Amazon moved in and made it so much worse. It's also an interesting story on how a Republican rancher/elected officials got radicalized by that crisis.
Reposted by Sam Wall
seasonal reminder that if someone says they don't drink:
-it's none of your business why
-hosts should have several non-alcoholic beverage options
-the holidays can be a tough period for non-drinkers
-many jokes about not drinking are bad
-people are burned out and might just be tired
-it's none of your business why
-hosts should have several non-alcoholic beverage options
-the holidays can be a tough period for non-drinkers
-many jokes about not drinking are bad
-people are burned out and might just be tired
November 28, 2025 at 3:50 PM
seasonal reminder that if someone says they don't drink:
-it's none of your business why
-hosts should have several non-alcoholic beverage options
-the holidays can be a tough period for non-drinkers
-many jokes about not drinking are bad
-people are burned out and might just be tired
-it's none of your business why
-hosts should have several non-alcoholic beverage options
-the holidays can be a tough period for non-drinkers
-many jokes about not drinking are bad
-people are burned out and might just be tired
Reposted by Sam Wall
New shirt design in my threadless store!
The Black Rabbit
threadless is having a huge sale!
Get t-shirts, mugs, hats, stickers, notebooks, even a shower curtain at a discount. Great for gifts!
whistberry.threadless.com
The Black Rabbit
threadless is having a huge sale!
Get t-shirts, mugs, hats, stickers, notebooks, even a shower curtain at a discount. Great for gifts!
whistberry.threadless.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:38 PM
New shirt design in my threadless store!
The Black Rabbit
threadless is having a huge sale!
Get t-shirts, mugs, hats, stickers, notebooks, even a shower curtain at a discount. Great for gifts!
whistberry.threadless.com
The Black Rabbit
threadless is having a huge sale!
Get t-shirts, mugs, hats, stickers, notebooks, even a shower curtain at a discount. Great for gifts!
whistberry.threadless.com
Reposted by Sam Wall
Bunny calendar repost! Here’s two more of my favorite months:
November 26, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Bunny calendar repost! Here’s two more of my favorite months:
Reposted by Sam Wall
This fucking sucks and is hostile af (yes, I get that this is the point). Our national parks are a treasure and I love sharing them with people. People visit the US specifically to see them. Nature should be open to everyone.
National Parks to raise fees by $100 for international tourists to popular U.S. parks
The National Park Service says it is going to start charging international tourists an extra $100 to enter popular parks. They will be left out of fee-free days, reserved for American residents.
www.npr.org
November 26, 2025 at 3:51 PM
This fucking sucks and is hostile af (yes, I get that this is the point). Our national parks are a treasure and I love sharing them with people. People visit the US specifically to see them. Nature should be open to everyone.
Reposted by Sam Wall
Sometimes military members are given orders which are legal but that they feel are clearly immoral. The GI Rights Hotline can help: 1-877-447-4487
November 25, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Sometimes military members are given orders which are legal but that they feel are clearly immoral. The GI Rights Hotline can help: 1-877-447-4487
Reposted by Sam Wall
I used to handle interlibrary loans for a public library. ILL is a magnificent expression of the idea that readers deserve books, and books deserve readers. It’s libraries everywhere pooling their resources for the benefit of everyone.
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries IMLS
librarytechnology.org/pr/31973
librarytechnology.org/pr/31973
Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries
Press Release: Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries. The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island struck down the Trump Adm...
librarytechnology.org
November 22, 2025 at 3:23 PM
I used to handle interlibrary loans for a public library. ILL is a magnificent expression of the idea that readers deserve books, and books deserve readers. It’s libraries everywhere pooling their resources for the benefit of everyone.
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Reposted by Sam Wall
Can’t believe the whole country has to suffer through the return of Dickensian childhood diseases because the worst, most ignorant attention-demanders decided other people’s expertise makes them feel bad
November 20, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Can’t believe the whole country has to suffer through the return of Dickensian childhood diseases because the worst, most ignorant attention-demanders decided other people’s expertise makes them feel bad
Reposted by Sam Wall
NEW: A risk assessment found that leading general-use chatbots — ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, and Claude — are "fundamentally unsafe" for teen mental health support, failing to catch important red flags and responding inappropriately to users exhibiting signs of crisis.
futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com/artificial-i...
Report Finds That Leading Chatbots Are a Disaster for Teens Facing Mental Health Struggles
A report found that leading chatbots are "fundamentally unsafe" for teens looking for mental health support, and failed to catch red flags.
futurism.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:36 PM
NEW: A risk assessment found that leading general-use chatbots — ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, and Claude — are "fundamentally unsafe" for teen mental health support, failing to catch important red flags and responding inappropriately to users exhibiting signs of crisis.
futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com/artificial-i...
Reposted by Sam Wall
"Haha bitches, I got a new scooter" is so good
I’m howling.
November 20, 2025 at 4:03 PM
"Haha bitches, I got a new scooter" is so good
Reposted by Sam Wall
Solange Knowles’ Saint Heron has launched a free digital archival library of literature by Black and brown authors, poets, and artists. Readers can borrow rare and out-of-print books for up to 45 days
Solange Opens Free Digital Library Of Rare Black Books
Solange has launched a digital library archive of Black and brown authors where readers can borrow books at no cost.
peopleofcolorintech.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Solange Knowles’ Saint Heron has launched a free digital archival library of literature by Black and brown authors, poets, and artists. Readers can borrow rare and out-of-print books for up to 45 days
Reposted by Sam Wall
I'm actually kind of a nerd about forgiveness and redemption? I believe room should be made for it
But it's a process. And when someone with a lot of power has VERY RECENTLY done some awful shit and your thesis is that we should jump ahead to forgiveness... You're not being serious about this topic
But it's a process. And when someone with a lot of power has VERY RECENTLY done some awful shit and your thesis is that we should jump ahead to forgiveness... You're not being serious about this topic
November 15, 2025 at 4:38 PM
I'm actually kind of a nerd about forgiveness and redemption? I believe room should be made for it
But it's a process. And when someone with a lot of power has VERY RECENTLY done some awful shit and your thesis is that we should jump ahead to forgiveness... You're not being serious about this topic
But it's a process. And when someone with a lot of power has VERY RECENTLY done some awful shit and your thesis is that we should jump ahead to forgiveness... You're not being serious about this topic
Reposted by Sam Wall
bringing this statement over from Alice’s Twitter. it appears the below was Alice’s last post before passing. I am heartbroken
November 15, 2025 at 2:37 PM
bringing this statement over from Alice’s Twitter. it appears the below was Alice’s last post before passing. I am heartbroken
Reposted by Sam Wall
Anyone who’s ever used emergency contraception or gains peace of mind by even having it on hand owes Dr Camp a debt of gratitude. What a force.
(Also, I just learned one reason the FDA rejected it at first was that they said the name Plan B was too glib!)
Great obit—no paywall.
(Also, I just learned one reason the FDA rejected it at first was that they said the name Plan B was too glib!)
Great obit—no paywall.
Sharon Camp, Mother of the ‘Plan B’ Contraceptive Pill, Dies at 81
www.nytimes.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Anyone who’s ever used emergency contraception or gains peace of mind by even having it on hand owes Dr Camp a debt of gratitude. What a force.
(Also, I just learned one reason the FDA rejected it at first was that they said the name Plan B was too glib!)
Great obit—no paywall.
(Also, I just learned one reason the FDA rejected it at first was that they said the name Plan B was too glib!)
Great obit—no paywall.
Reposted by Sam Wall
this needs to known far and wide
A Republican sheriff in a swing county that Trump won by 0.1% signed a contract to help ICE, then lost last week by 11.
New by me in @boltsmag.org: boltsmag.org/sheriff-of-b...
New by me in @boltsmag.org: boltsmag.org/sheriff-of-b...
Voters Ousted This Pennsylvania Sheriff After He Signed Up to Collaborate With ICE - Bolts
A populous, swing county replaced its GOP sheriff on Tuesday after months of controversy over his joining ICE’s 287(g) program. The Democratic winner promises he’ll end the contract.
boltsmag.org
November 11, 2025 at 4:27 PM
this needs to known far and wide