Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
@robertsburton.bsky.social
Occasional writer. Always a reader. Sometime musician and voice actor, more often sound engineer. Cement-punk overtones with a philosophical subtext, served amidst the aroma of the world's end.
He/Him/His.
He/Him/His.
Reposted by Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
And the folks who are actually writing full-time generally only got there after years of day jobs, family support, or both.
The point of sharing this is not to demoralize anyone, but to let emerging writers know they're not failing if they can't make a living off writing alone. Almost no one can.
The point of sharing this is not to demoralize anyone, but to let emerging writers know they're not failing if they can't make a living off writing alone. Almost no one can.
almost every novelist you read who's not from the airport fiction or bestseller sections is working a full on day job, including multi-award winners and absolute legends, or they have a spouse or trust that supports them. virtually across the board. just normalize in your mind that's how it works.
I know we know this, but authors need to get better at talking about how they actually make their money. Stop pretending it's from the books.
November 25, 2025 at 11:24 PM
And the folks who are actually writing full-time generally only got there after years of day jobs, family support, or both.
The point of sharing this is not to demoralize anyone, but to let emerging writers know they're not failing if they can't make a living off writing alone. Almost no one can.
The point of sharing this is not to demoralize anyone, but to let emerging writers know they're not failing if they can't make a living off writing alone. Almost no one can.
Reposted by Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 PM
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
Reposted by Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
Take heart, my friends, there’s always a chance this dumb motherfucker might trip and get his head stuck inside his own turkey this week.
November 25, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Take heart, my friends, there’s always a chance this dumb motherfucker might trip and get his head stuck inside his own turkey this week.
Reposted by Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
BREAKING: This is huge news, the EU's equivalent of the 🇺🇸Supreme Court's 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling.
🇪🇺Court of Justice just ruled all 🇪🇺countries must recognise same-sex marriages granted in other member states.
This effectively legalises gay marriage across 🇪🇺
🇪🇺Court of Justice just ruled all 🇪🇺countries must recognise same-sex marriages granted in other member states.
This effectively legalises gay marriage across 🇪🇺
www.reuters.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:10 AM
BREAKING: This is huge news, the EU's equivalent of the 🇺🇸Supreme Court's 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling.
🇪🇺Court of Justice just ruled all 🇪🇺countries must recognise same-sex marriages granted in other member states.
This effectively legalises gay marriage across 🇪🇺
🇪🇺Court of Justice just ruled all 🇪🇺countries must recognise same-sex marriages granted in other member states.
This effectively legalises gay marriage across 🇪🇺
Reposted by Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
And anyone who has watched magistrates nod-along with prosecution evidence in the mags courts will know exactly what I mean.
November 25, 2025 at 7:31 PM
And anyone who has watched magistrates nod-along with prosecution evidence in the mags courts will know exactly what I mean.
Reposted by Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
In essence: juries are important for what decisions they prevent others from making.
Juries are not perfect.
Many of the worst miscarriages of justice have followed jury trials.
But the merit of juries is not so much the power they have, but the power they prevent others from having.
They mean a judge cannot just nod-along with prosecution evidence and give a guilty verdict.
Many of the worst miscarriages of justice have followed jury trials.
But the merit of juries is not so much the power they have, but the power they prevent others from having.
They mean a judge cannot just nod-along with prosecution evidence and give a guilty verdict.
November 25, 2025 at 9:52 PM
In essence: juries are important for what decisions they prevent others from making.
Reposted by Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
Reposted by Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
1/ A telescope fist bump in the sky 🤜 🤛
Our Unit Telescopes combine their light with interferometry to obtain the level of detail of a huge 130 m virtual telescope. But this requires correcting the effects of Earth’s atmosphere. This is where the lasers come in.
🔭 🧪
Our Unit Telescopes combine their light with interferometry to obtain the level of detail of a huge 130 m virtual telescope. But this requires correcting the effects of Earth’s atmosphere. This is where the lasers come in.
🔭 🧪
November 25, 2025 at 8:02 AM
1/ A telescope fist bump in the sky 🤜 🤛
Our Unit Telescopes combine their light with interferometry to obtain the level of detail of a huge 130 m virtual telescope. But this requires correcting the effects of Earth’s atmosphere. This is where the lasers come in.
🔭 🧪
Our Unit Telescopes combine their light with interferometry to obtain the level of detail of a huge 130 m virtual telescope. But this requires correcting the effects of Earth’s atmosphere. This is where the lasers come in.
🔭 🧪
Look, those cables might come in one day, and my partner loves those plants and those bits of rustic pottery they picked-up on our travels. And, frankly, none of us believe you can have too many books; what we have is too few bookshelves.
Damnit, though, I do need to tidy.
Damnit, though, I do need to tidy.
Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.
November 25, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Look, those cables might come in one day, and my partner loves those plants and those bits of rustic pottery they picked-up on our travels. And, frankly, none of us believe you can have too many books; what we have is too few bookshelves.
Damnit, though, I do need to tidy.
Damnit, though, I do need to tidy.
Honest question:
Are there any examples of religious movements that became politically dominant and didn't then reinterpret their core beliefs to the convenience of maintaining that power?
Are there any examples of religious movements that became politically dominant and didn't then reinterpret their core beliefs to the convenience of maintaining that power?
this is gonna be real rich coming from me, because I left Christianity a long time ago, but there's this big part of me that's still absolutely, personally horrified by the *damage* the Christian right has done to the proclamation of the gospel. They have rendered Christ repugnant.
November 24, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Honest question:
Are there any examples of religious movements that became politically dominant and didn't then reinterpret their core beliefs to the convenience of maintaining that power?
Are there any examples of religious movements that became politically dominant and didn't then reinterpret their core beliefs to the convenience of maintaining that power?
It's better than at least four of those movies combined.
For 8 great Star Wars movies (or, more exactly, narrative arcs), that seems more than fair to me. ☺️
Disney Spent More On ‘Andor’ Than Any Of Its ‘Star Wars’ Movies
Disney has revealed it spent $60.5 million on Star Wars streaming series Andor in 2024, giving the show a total cost of $705.5 million - far higher than the spending on any of the movies in the saga.
www.forbes.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:41 PM
It's better than at least four of those movies combined.
How to make the Bullshit Engine bubble worse. Add another $27 billion of pure high-octane financial bullshit.
"It seems like a marvel of financial engineering: Meta is building a $27 billion data center in Louisiana, financed with debt, and neither the data center nor the debt will be on its own balance sheet."
AI Meets Aggressive Accounting at Meta’s Gigantic New Data Center
Favorable treatment off the balance sheet hinges on some convenient assumptions.
www.wsj.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:34 PM
How to make the Bullshit Engine bubble worse. Add another $27 billion of pure high-octane financial bullshit.
Humans can do astonishingly cool things when they throw their energy in the right directions.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Hunter syndrome: Boy with rare condition amazes doctors after world-first gene therapy
Oliver has an inherited condition called Hunter syndrome, which causes progressive damage to the body and brain.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Humans can do astonishingly cool things when they throw their energy in the right directions.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
Inheritance Tax has moved from being the nichest of niche grumbles affecting a tiny number of people who are still going to be better off after paying it, to an issue that people on minimum wage with parents who live in rented homes think directly affects them. This is journalism’s fault.
I don't think this was actually deliberately published as ragebait, but the entitlement contained within is remarkable and a classic example of the sort of sentiment governments sometimes just have to face down inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...?
We were hit with a £148k inheritance tax bill when mum died at 97 - it's disgusting
Jill Lemon has labelled inheritance tax as 'cruel', 'horrible' and 'unfair'
inews.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Inheritance Tax has moved from being the nichest of niche grumbles affecting a tiny number of people who are still going to be better off after paying it, to an issue that people on minimum wage with parents who live in rented homes think directly affects them. This is journalism’s fault.
Reposted by Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
Let’s re-frame the issue. Call Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains tax “luck taxes”. You’re lucky enough to acquire a pile of cash you haven’t worked for directly. Well done you! Now pay forward some of that luck so we can all benefit, and all feel a little more lucky.
November 24, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Let’s re-frame the issue. Call Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains tax “luck taxes”. You’re lucky enough to acquire a pile of cash you haven’t worked for directly. Well done you! Now pay forward some of that luck so we can all benefit, and all feel a little more lucky.
Reposted by Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
No gods, no masters.
Including the people who tell you "no gods, no masters."
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Including the people who tell you "no gods, no masters."
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Chomsky had deeper ties with Epstein than previously known, documents reveal
The philosopher and the sex trafficker were in contact long after Epstein was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor, documents reveal
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2025 at 4:32 PM
No gods, no masters.
Including the people who tell you "no gods, no masters."
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Including the people who tell you "no gods, no masters."
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
For similar reasons, I'd think, that business owners tend to not show much gratitude when corrupt cops suggest they give the local gangsters 20% of their business so they don't keep kicking the shit out of them; loudly offering the argument 'it's better than waking-up to find your shop on fire.'
Trump says Ukraine has ‘zero gratitude’ for peace plan amid international talks
Trump says Ukraine has ‘zero gratitude’ for peace plan amid international talks
US president appears to roll back from demand Zelenskyy sign by Thursday amid claims Russia authored the text
Donald Trump on Sunday claimed Ukraine had shown no gratitude for US efforts to end the war, as American, Ukrainian and international negotiators met in Switzerland to discuss the “peace plan” that would involve significant concessions to Moscow from Kyiv.
Poland’s president, Donald Tusk, asked where Trump’s “peace plan” came from, after an apparent admission by the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, that the text was originally drafted by Moscow. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2025 at 6:18 PM
For similar reasons, I'd think, that business owners tend to not show much gratitude when corrupt cops suggest they give the local gangsters 20% of their business so they don't keep kicking the shit out of them; loudly offering the argument 'it's better than waking-up to find your shop on fire.'
Reposted by Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
Chatting to my 85yo mum yesterday, and she's astonished by the priorities/resentments of her healthier friends. Far more would be achieved for that section of the population with improved in-home social care, care home provision and disability support – all of which help everyone - than cash wealth.
Could the Budget help turn Generation Z into generation debt?
Could the Budget help turn Generation Z into generation debt?
There's growing concern that current tax and spending policies help pensioners, but are unfair on younger generations.
www.bbc.com
November 23, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Chatting to my 85yo mum yesterday, and she's astonished by the priorities/resentments of her healthier friends. Far more would be achieved for that section of the population with improved in-home social care, care home provision and disability support – all of which help everyone - than cash wealth.
It's easy to be cynical about stuff like this, and I can already see problems, but I love an ambitious idea of this kind, and we get absolutely nowhere without aiming high and trying hard.
How ambitious ‘forest city’ plan for England could become a reality
How ambitious ‘forest city’ plan for England could become a reality
Cross-party coalition behind proposals hope eco-friendly scheme for million people could begin before end of decade
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2025 at 9:25 AM
It's easy to be cynical about stuff like this, and I can already see problems, but I love an ambitious idea of this kind, and we get absolutely nowhere without aiming high and trying hard.
Reposted by Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
He never meant to make your daughter cry,
He's four fish in a coat and not a guy
He's four fish in a coat and not a guy
November 23, 2025 at 9:02 AM
He never meant to make your daughter cry,
He's four fish in a coat and not a guy
He's four fish in a coat and not a guy
Reposted by Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
Twitter had to turn off its location feature within hours because thousands of prominent and "verified" MAGA accounts turned out to be foreign and I think it's hilarious that Elon was the one who exposed them all
November 22, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Twitter had to turn off its location feature within hours because thousands of prominent and "verified" MAGA accounts turned out to be foreign and I think it's hilarious that Elon was the one who exposed them all
Reposted by Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
The EPA is moving forward with approvals for pesticides containing “forever chemicals” as an active ingredient, dismissing concerns about health and environmental impacts raised by some scientists and activists.
Here’s what to look out for:
Here’s what to look out for:
EPA just approved new ‘forever chemical’ pesticides for use on food
Critics warn the EPA’s approvals of new PFAS pesticides could expose more Americans to “forever chemicals” through their food.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:00 PM
The EPA is moving forward with approvals for pesticides containing “forever chemicals” as an active ingredient, dismissing concerns about health and environmental impacts raised by some scientists and activists.
Here’s what to look out for:
Here’s what to look out for:
Reposted by Rob Burton, once and future non-existent entity.
Trump v the BBC cont'd: an odd and desperate letter from the US media regulator
Or: why you should have your evidence in place before you threaten a law suit
A new post by me:
emptycity.substack.com/p/trump-v-th...
Or: why you should have your evidence in place before you threaten a law suit
A new post by me:
emptycity.substack.com/p/trump-v-th...
Trump v the BBC cont'd: an odd and desperate letter from the US media regulator
Or: why you should have your evidence in place before you threaten a law suit
emptycity.substack.com
November 22, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Trump v the BBC cont'd: an odd and desperate letter from the US media regulator
Or: why you should have your evidence in place before you threaten a law suit
A new post by me:
emptycity.substack.com/p/trump-v-th...
Or: why you should have your evidence in place before you threaten a law suit
A new post by me:
emptycity.substack.com/p/trump-v-th...