Robert Rath
@robertrath.bsky.social
Head Writer of EXTRA HISTORY. Author of THE INFINITE AND THE DIVINE, THE FALL OF CADIA, and ASSASSINORUM: KINGMAKER for Black Library. Freelance word mercenary. Born Hawaii, live HK. All views my own. He/Him
Pinned
Robert Rath
@robertrath.bsky.social
· Nov 11
Hey Bluesky!
I’m Robert Rath, author of the Warhammer 40,000 novels THE INFINITE AND THE DIVINE, THE FALL OF CADIA, ASSASSINORUM: KINGMAKER, and Head Writer of the YouTube series EXTRA HISTORY.
Follow me for comfortably warm takes, writing news, and photos of Hong Kong.
I’m Robert Rath, author of the Warhammer 40,000 novels THE INFINITE AND THE DIVINE, THE FALL OF CADIA, ASSASSINORUM: KINGMAKER, and Head Writer of the YouTube series EXTRA HISTORY.
Follow me for comfortably warm takes, writing news, and photos of Hong Kong.
Let me read three pages of this thrilling Tintin book to my six-year-old and four-year-old, I’m sure it will be a rollicking good adventure that will hold their interest and not cause them to say anything weird in school.
November 26, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Let me read three pages of this thrilling Tintin book to my six-year-old and four-year-old, I’m sure it will be a rollicking good adventure that will hold their interest and not cause them to say anything weird in school.
FWIW in the end I refused to pay this much.
Also, it was not cubed.
Also, it was not cubed.
I know this is absolutely the smallest, most privileged complaint re: Trump’s tariffs, but it’s made Thanksgiving a LOT more expensive for American expats.
These two bags of Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix will set you back 138 HKD ($17.75 USD).
These two bags of Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix will set you back 138 HKD ($17.75 USD).
November 25, 2025 at 5:34 AM
FWIW in the end I refused to pay this much.
Also, it was not cubed.
Also, it was not cubed.
I know this is absolutely the smallest, most privileged complaint re: Trump’s tariffs, but it’s made Thanksgiving a LOT more expensive for American expats.
These two bags of Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix will set you back 138 HKD ($17.75 USD).
These two bags of Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix will set you back 138 HKD ($17.75 USD).
November 25, 2025 at 5:20 AM
I know this is absolutely the smallest, most privileged complaint re: Trump’s tariffs, but it’s made Thanksgiving a LOT more expensive for American expats.
These two bags of Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix will set you back 138 HKD ($17.75 USD).
These two bags of Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix will set you back 138 HKD ($17.75 USD).
Increasingly we’re of the opinion that our kids will just made do with flip phones until college.
Imagine knowing your platform was a playground for predators, fueling teen depression, eating disorders, and suicide and deciding the best course of action was… absolutely nothing. Meta didn’t just “miss” anything.
November 24, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Increasingly we’re of the opinion that our kids will just made do with flip phones until college.
Reposted by Robert Rath
A bus driver and lunchroom workers were also detained.
ICE detains 5 Austin ISD employees, including 5th-grade teacher
A bus driver and lunchroom workers were also detained.
bit.ly
November 23, 2025 at 10:40 PM
A bus driver and lunchroom workers were also detained.
Getting a Thanksgiving turkey with my kids, and retelling the old family story about how when she was two, my daughter had a meltdown on Thanksgiving because the turkey didn’t have feet.
We’d told her she’d get a turkey leg and, a Hong Kong kid, she’d been imagining gnawing on giant turkey feet.
We’d told her she’d get a turkey leg and, a Hong Kong kid, she’d been imagining gnawing on giant turkey feet.
November 23, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Getting a Thanksgiving turkey with my kids, and retelling the old family story about how when she was two, my daughter had a meltdown on Thanksgiving because the turkey didn’t have feet.
We’d told her she’d get a turkey leg and, a Hong Kong kid, she’d been imagining gnawing on giant turkey feet.
We’d told her she’d get a turkey leg and, a Hong Kong kid, she’d been imagining gnawing on giant turkey feet.
Reposted by Robert Rath
no one has even bothered trying to convince us there’s a threat from Venezuela. no weapons of mass destruction. nothing. just a war of choice because why not.
US operations against Venezuela to begin within days.
Covert ops the first move.
Covert ops the first move.
www.reuters.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:48 PM
no one has even bothered trying to convince us there’s a threat from Venezuela. no weapons of mass destruction. nothing. just a war of choice because why not.
Reposted by Robert Rath
Brandy you're a fine girl
What a good wife you would be
But my life my love and my lady
Is the See
What a good wife you would be
But my life my love and my lady
Is the See
November 23, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Brandy you're a fine girl
What a good wife you would be
But my life my love and my lady
Is the See
What a good wife you would be
But my life my love and my lady
Is the See
Reposted by Robert Rath
I once knew a Federal bank examiner, and one time someone asked him why we had to KEEP inspecting banks over and over. He basically said every new batch of business school grads invents bank fraud from first principles.
AirBnB CEO calling it “vibe revenue” just 👨🍳 😘
The underlying cause of every bubble - debt masquerading as financial innovation - depends on not just short financial memory & speculative neophytism, but reinventing jargon of finance, like how each generation of kids has new ways to say same things.
The underlying cause of every bubble - debt masquerading as financial innovation - depends on not just short financial memory & speculative neophytism, but reinventing jargon of finance, like how each generation of kids has new ways to say same things.
November 22, 2025 at 6:02 PM
I once knew a Federal bank examiner, and one time someone asked him why we had to KEEP inspecting banks over and over. He basically said every new batch of business school grads invents bank fraud from first principles.
Reviews of WICKED: FOR GOOD are really reinforcing my long-held belief that every great song you remember from a musical is from the first half, and what you get after intermissions are generally okay songs, one banger, and a lot of stirring reprises from the first half.
November 23, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Reviews of WICKED: FOR GOOD are really reinforcing my long-held belief that every great song you remember from a musical is from the first half, and what you get after intermissions are generally okay songs, one banger, and a lot of stirring reprises from the first half.
Reposted by Robert Rath
Hell's Last paperback, on sale today.
Cadia has fallen. Last to escape the hell that was the Thirteenth Black Crusade's destruction of their home world, the Cadian 101st are bloodied...
www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/m...
#MinkaLesk #CadiaStands #warhammer40k
Cadia has fallen. Last to escape the hell that was the Thirteenth Black Crusade's destruction of their home world, the Cadian 101st are bloodied...
www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/m...
#MinkaLesk #CadiaStands #warhammer40k
www.warhammer.com
November 22, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Hell's Last paperback, on sale today.
Cadia has fallen. Last to escape the hell that was the Thirteenth Black Crusade's destruction of their home world, the Cadian 101st are bloodied...
www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/m...
#MinkaLesk #CadiaStands #warhammer40k
Cadia has fallen. Last to escape the hell that was the Thirteenth Black Crusade's destruction of their home world, the Cadian 101st are bloodied...
www.warhammer.com/en-GB/shop/m...
#MinkaLesk #CadiaStands #warhammer40k
WEIRD DAYS IN HISTORY!
You might have heard about Bonaparte’s Bunny Battle, but there’s some interesting context to this tale of Napoleon being rushed by ravenous rabbits.
youtube.com/shorts/3UF4e...
You might have heard about Bonaparte’s Bunny Battle, but there’s some interesting context to this tale of Napoleon being rushed by ravenous rabbits.
youtube.com/shorts/3UF4e...
Napoleon Attacked by Rabbits! | Weird Days in History
YouTube video by Extra History
youtube.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:35 AM
WEIRD DAYS IN HISTORY!
You might have heard about Bonaparte’s Bunny Battle, but there’s some interesting context to this tale of Napoleon being rushed by ravenous rabbits.
youtube.com/shorts/3UF4e...
You might have heard about Bonaparte’s Bunny Battle, but there’s some interesting context to this tale of Napoleon being rushed by ravenous rabbits.
youtube.com/shorts/3UF4e...
At the height of my daughter’s FROZEN obsession when she was three, she’d throw herself onto the floor when she was upset and wail:
“I can’t live like this anymore!”
“I can’t live like this anymore!”
My 9 and 8 yo daughters were singing one of the songs and I heard them sing “patterns I’m ashamed of..”
Oh? What patterns, exactly?? Do tell, children……😂
Oh? What patterns, exactly?? Do tell, children……😂
November 22, 2025 at 5:03 AM
At the height of my daughter’s FROZEN obsession when she was three, she’d throw herself onto the floor when she was upset and wail:
“I can’t live like this anymore!”
“I can’t live like this anymore!”
K-Pop Demon Hunters getting my six-year-old to ask me real easy questions like:
“Daddy what does ‘napalm’ mean?”
“Daddy what does ‘napalm’ mean?”
November 22, 2025 at 2:40 AM
K-Pop Demon Hunters getting my six-year-old to ask me real easy questions like:
“Daddy what does ‘napalm’ mean?”
“Daddy what does ‘napalm’ mean?”
I didn’t want to say this before the meet happened because, honestly, trying to predict how Trump is going to react to something or someone is a fool’s game. He’s extremely volatile at the best of times.
If Trump were in a different mood it could’ve easily been Zelensky Suit Ambush Part 2.
If Trump were in a different mood it could’ve easily been Zelensky Suit Ambush Part 2.
FWIW I kinda thought it might. At bottom Trump has no real political principles and is easily influenced by young, handsome guys with charisma.
Also, he’s always had these dreams of taking big swings on infrastructure, so I figured he’d like the bus idea.
Could’ve also gone terribly though.
Also, he’s always had these dreams of taking big swings on infrastructure, so I figured he’d like the bus idea.
Could’ve also gone terribly though.
Trump frickin' loves this guy lmao
November 22, 2025 at 2:04 AM
I didn’t want to say this before the meet happened because, honestly, trying to predict how Trump is going to react to something or someone is a fool’s game. He’s extremely volatile at the best of times.
If Trump were in a different mood it could’ve easily been Zelensky Suit Ambush Part 2.
If Trump were in a different mood it could’ve easily been Zelensky Suit Ambush Part 2.
FWIW I kinda thought it might. At bottom Trump has no real political principles and is easily influenced by young, handsome guys with charisma.
Also, he’s always had these dreams of taking big swings on infrastructure, so I figured he’d like the bus idea.
Could’ve also gone terribly though.
Also, he’s always had these dreams of taking big swings on infrastructure, so I figured he’d like the bus idea.
Could’ve also gone terribly though.
November 21, 2025 at 11:35 PM
FWIW I kinda thought it might. At bottom Trump has no real political principles and is easily influenced by young, handsome guys with charisma.
Also, he’s always had these dreams of taking big swings on infrastructure, so I figured he’d like the bus idea.
Could’ve also gone terribly though.
Also, he’s always had these dreams of taking big swings on infrastructure, so I figured he’d like the bus idea.
Could’ve also gone terribly though.
Reposted by Robert Rath
The most important thing an editor does is invisible: good editors stop bad things* from happening.
*fraud and rushed-reporting mistakes
*embarrassing memoirs
*AI slop (although even good editors can get fooled)
*biased language or assumptions (ableism, racism, sexism)
*so much more
*fraud and rushed-reporting mistakes
*embarrassing memoirs
*AI slop (although even good editors can get fooled)
*biased language or assumptions (ableism, racism, sexism)
*so much more
November 21, 2025 at 3:01 PM
The most important thing an editor does is invisible: good editors stop bad things* from happening.
*fraud and rushed-reporting mistakes
*embarrassing memoirs
*AI slop (although even good editors can get fooled)
*biased language or assumptions (ableism, racism, sexism)
*so much more
*fraud and rushed-reporting mistakes
*embarrassing memoirs
*AI slop (although even good editors can get fooled)
*biased language or assumptions (ableism, racism, sexism)
*so much more
Reposted by Robert Rath
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
November 21, 2025 at 2:35 AM
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.
Love that this is just someone’s little hangout spot, twelve stories above the street in the middle of Hong Kong.
November 21, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Love that this is just someone’s little hangout spot, twelve stories above the street in the middle of Hong Kong.
Reposted by Robert Rath
Congress and state legislatures must make this practice illegal. We should not be automatically enrolled in the violation of our privacy by these tech companies. Features like this should only be enabled after clear, informed, fully free consent—not via default settings.
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
November 21, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Congress and state legislatures must make this practice illegal. We should not be automatically enrolled in the violation of our privacy by these tech companies. Features like this should only be enabled after clear, informed, fully free consent—not via default settings.
I hadn’t read this book, and it turns out that was good because I was literally SHOUTING at my bathroom mirror this morning at every quote about history read aloud from it.
Europeans invented science in the Renaissance? Religion meant medieval people didn’t explore the world. Agriculture bad. WHAT?
Europeans invented science in the Renaissance? Religion meant medieval people didn’t explore the world. Agriculture bad. WHAT?
Episode 46: Sapiens
It's an ambitious goal to write the entire history of humanity in just 400 pages. It's even more ambitious to do it without reading any research.
It's an ambitious goal to write the entire history of humanity in just 400 pages. It's even more ambitious to do it without reading any research.
Sapiens
Podcast Episode · If Books Could Kill · 11/20/2025 · 1h 38m
podcasts.apple.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:03 AM
I hadn’t read this book, and it turns out that was good because I was literally SHOUTING at my bathroom mirror this morning at every quote about history read aloud from it.
Europeans invented science in the Renaissance? Religion meant medieval people didn’t explore the world. Agriculture bad. WHAT?
Europeans invented science in the Renaissance? Religion meant medieval people didn’t explore the world. Agriculture bad. WHAT?
“One of the many things I learned on ‘The Road Rules’ was how to comport myself with a little savoir faire.”
[Slips hand into his lounge robe and blows on the bubble pipe.]
[Slips hand into his lounge robe and blows on the bubble pipe.]
Trump's Transportation Secretary on how to improve air travel:
"People dress up like they're going to bed when they fly... We want to push people as we come into a really busy travel season, help people out, be in a good mood, dress up"
"People dress up like they're going to bed when they fly... We want to push people as we come into a really busy travel season, help people out, be in a good mood, dress up"
November 21, 2025 at 1:15 AM
“One of the many things I learned on ‘The Road Rules’ was how to comport myself with a little savoir faire.”
[Slips hand into his lounge robe and blows on the bubble pipe.]
[Slips hand into his lounge robe and blows on the bubble pipe.]
This is the opinion of someone who flies Business or First when they deign to fly commercial at all.
Dude I’m just trying to get to Dallas with no blood clot and my kids having not murdered each other.
Dude I’m just trying to get to Dallas with no blood clot and my kids having not murdered each other.
Trump's Transportation Secretary on how to improve air travel:
"People dress up like they're going to bed when they fly... We want to push people as we come into a really busy travel season, help people out, be in a good mood, dress up"
"People dress up like they're going to bed when they fly... We want to push people as we come into a really busy travel season, help people out, be in a good mood, dress up"
November 21, 2025 at 12:21 AM
This is the opinion of someone who flies Business or First when they deign to fly commercial at all.
Dude I’m just trying to get to Dallas with no blood clot and my kids having not murdered each other.
Dude I’m just trying to get to Dallas with no blood clot and my kids having not murdered each other.
Reposted by Robert Rath
“It’s now clear that potent opposition to the dictatorship requires concerted efforts by actors across the country, both in and out of government, all directed at bringing every abuse of the regime and its dictator to the attention of a public that is already alarmed.”
Yes. Everything everywhere
Yes. Everything everywhere
The GOP is stuck with a lame duck dictator. Republicans didn't just lose the shutdown, they are losing the American people, who are increasingly repulsed by Trump's War Within America, and by Trump himself, as I discuss in PN.
The lame duck dictatorship
Trump is fighting his "war within" on multiple fronts and losing them all.
open.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:57 PM
“It’s now clear that potent opposition to the dictatorship requires concerted efforts by actors across the country, both in and out of government, all directed at bringing every abuse of the regime and its dictator to the attention of a public that is already alarmed.”
Yes. Everything everywhere
Yes. Everything everywhere
ME: Right, you’re going to turn five soon. And how old will you be after that?
4YO: Eight!
ME: Eight? Really?
4YO: Yeah eight.
ME: What happened to six and seven?
6YO [Lying in Wait]: Siiiiiiix Seeeeven.
ME: Ok… I admit I’m kind of impressed with that ambush…
4YO: Eight!
ME: Eight? Really?
4YO: Yeah eight.
ME: What happened to six and seven?
6YO [Lying in Wait]: Siiiiiiix Seeeeven.
ME: Ok… I admit I’m kind of impressed with that ambush…
November 20, 2025 at 10:09 AM
ME: Right, you’re going to turn five soon. And how old will you be after that?
4YO: Eight!
ME: Eight? Really?
4YO: Yeah eight.
ME: What happened to six and seven?
6YO [Lying in Wait]: Siiiiiiix Seeeeven.
ME: Ok… I admit I’m kind of impressed with that ambush…
4YO: Eight!
ME: Eight? Really?
4YO: Yeah eight.
ME: What happened to six and seven?
6YO [Lying in Wait]: Siiiiiiix Seeeeven.
ME: Ok… I admit I’m kind of impressed with that ambush…