Bill
@caractacus.bsky.social
He/him. Writer, editor, fact checker. Not a candy. https://ktepi.com/
Pinned
Bill
@caractacus.bsky.social
· Sep 19
A brief intro as there's a steady flow of new folks. I've been a publishing freelancer for about 20 years. Educational publishing is my home base but I try to expand beyond it, especially since the world of textbooks is ... all the things it is right now.
Reposted by Bill
Alt text for those who need it. This is amazing.
December 2, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Alt text for those who need it. This is amazing.
I first thought Gene Hackman, BUT:
Dan Hedaya gets me not just Joe vs the Volcano but
Clueless
The Addams Family
A Life Less Ordinary
Mulholland fucking Drive
The Usual Suspects
and BUCKAROO BANZAI
Dan Hedaya gets me not just Joe vs the Volcano but
Clueless
The Addams Family
A Life Less Ordinary
Mulholland fucking Drive
The Usual Suspects
and BUCKAROO BANZAI
This is a Bill Simmons game, but you’re stranded on a desert island. You can only have one actor’s filmography. You get it all, including cameos. But just the one performer.
I’m taking Cate Blanchett: Talented Mr. Ripley, LOTR, Life Aquatic, Black Bag, Tár, Ponyo, Hot Fuzz, Eyes Wide Shut, Thor
I’m taking Cate Blanchett: Talented Mr. Ripley, LOTR, Life Aquatic, Black Bag, Tár, Ponyo, Hot Fuzz, Eyes Wide Shut, Thor
December 1, 2025 at 9:08 PM
I first thought Gene Hackman, BUT:
Dan Hedaya gets me not just Joe vs the Volcano but
Clueless
The Addams Family
A Life Less Ordinary
Mulholland fucking Drive
The Usual Suspects
and BUCKAROO BANZAI
Dan Hedaya gets me not just Joe vs the Volcano but
Clueless
The Addams Family
A Life Less Ordinary
Mulholland fucking Drive
The Usual Suspects
and BUCKAROO BANZAI
"Why?"
What’s the worst question someone can ask after you tell them your profession? For linguists, it’s definitely “how many languages do you speak?”, but I’m curious what else is happening to the rest of y’all out there?!
December 1, 2025 at 8:28 PM
"Why?"
Reposted by Bill
“Frog,” asked Toad, “did this really happen?”
“Maybe it did, and maybe it didn’t,” said Frog.
“Maybe it did, and maybe it didn’t,” said Frog.
December 1, 2025 at 5:37 PM
“Frog,” asked Toad, “did this really happen?”
“Maybe it did, and maybe it didn’t,” said Frog.
“Maybe it did, and maybe it didn’t,” said Frog.
One of the things I've learned over the years is I am so much more annoyed by people I 99% agree with than the total idiots, loons, and bigots. I'm not saying this is a good thing.
(Angry repost making the rounds that sounds good, but is aimed at a strawman bc the poster didn't read carefully.)
(Angry repost making the rounds that sounds good, but is aimed at a strawman bc the poster didn't read carefully.)
December 1, 2025 at 4:52 PM
One of the things I've learned over the years is I am so much more annoyed by people I 99% agree with than the total idiots, loons, and bigots. I'm not saying this is a good thing.
(Angry repost making the rounds that sounds good, but is aimed at a strawman bc the poster didn't read carefully.)
(Angry repost making the rounds that sounds good, but is aimed at a strawman bc the poster didn't read carefully.)
Reposted by Bill
Contrasts Series (IV?) by František Kupka, 1935
https://botfrens.com/collections/212/contents/137575
https://botfrens.com/collections/212/contents/137575
December 1, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Contrasts Series (IV?) by František Kupka, 1935
https://botfrens.com/collections/212/contents/137575
https://botfrens.com/collections/212/contents/137575
Locus, June 2003. I didn’t know my mother even knew where to buy Locus, but this was in one of her filing cabinets with my old FAFSA info and whatnot.
I’d gotten reader emails, but it still felt like Rich was the first person other than friends and editors who noticed what I’d been up to.
I’d gotten reader emails, but it still felt like Rich was the first person other than friends and editors who noticed what I’d been up to.
December 1, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Locus, June 2003. I didn’t know my mother even knew where to buy Locus, but this was in one of her filing cabinets with my old FAFSA info and whatnot.
I’d gotten reader emails, but it still felt like Rich was the first person other than friends and editors who noticed what I’d been up to.
I’d gotten reader emails, but it still felt like Rich was the first person other than friends and editors who noticed what I’d been up to.
Restaurants, I appreciate the Black Friday emails I guess, but emailing me an offer from a "restaurant group" is fucking pointless. Oh, you operate a Cuban restaurant I went to on vacation four years ago? Maybe if your email mentioned a city or any restaurant name I'd have pieced that together.
November 30, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Restaurants, I appreciate the Black Friday emails I guess, but emailing me an offer from a "restaurant group" is fucking pointless. Oh, you operate a Cuban restaurant I went to on vacation four years ago? Maybe if your email mentioned a city or any restaurant name I'd have pieced that together.
Reposted by Bill
he's being turned into a pastry before our eyes
France’s far-right leader hit by egg, days after flour attack
French far-right leader hit on the head with an egg
Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s far-right National Rally party, was hit on the head with an egg Saturday, just days after another incident in which a protester threw flour at him.
www.ctvnews.ca
November 30, 2025 at 12:10 AM
he's being turned into a pastry before our eyes
Reposted by Bill
never have I heard a more egregious example of “brain simply cannot accept how much time has passed” than a bbc radio announcer just now suggesting that there may in fact be some children today who were born after the collapse of east germany
November 29, 2025 at 9:56 PM
never have I heard a more egregious example of “brain simply cannot accept how much time has passed” than a bbc radio announcer just now suggesting that there may in fact be some children today who were born after the collapse of east germany
Reposted by Bill
Kara Walker's stunning "Unmanned Drone," a deconstructed & reassembled statue of Stonewall Jackson that was originally located in Charlottesville, Virginia until its 2021 removal. A fascinating & complex artwork, now on view at LA art space The Brick as part of "Monuments" exhibition the-brick.org
November 28, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Kara Walker's stunning "Unmanned Drone," a deconstructed & reassembled statue of Stonewall Jackson that was originally located in Charlottesville, Virginia until its 2021 removal. A fascinating & complex artwork, now on view at LA art space The Brick as part of "Monuments" exhibition the-brick.org
Reposted by Bill
Reposted by Bill
should freelance writers get paid more than minimum wage?
it's a wild question, i know, but a lot of people seem to think it's OK that freelancer's rates have FALLEN every year
and when indie pubs try to pay even average rates, y'all complain about paywalls, which tells me your answer is "no!"
it's a wild question, i know, but a lot of people seem to think it's OK that freelancer's rates have FALLEN every year
and when indie pubs try to pay even average rates, y'all complain about paywalls, which tells me your answer is "no!"
November 11, 2025 at 6:26 PM
should freelance writers get paid more than minimum wage?
it's a wild question, i know, but a lot of people seem to think it's OK that freelancer's rates have FALLEN every year
and when indie pubs try to pay even average rates, y'all complain about paywalls, which tells me your answer is "no!"
it's a wild question, i know, but a lot of people seem to think it's OK that freelancer's rates have FALLEN every year
and when indie pubs try to pay even average rates, y'all complain about paywalls, which tells me your answer is "no!"
Reposted by Bill
Happy Brak friday to those that celebrate.
November 28, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Happy Brak friday to those that celebrate.
Reposted by Bill
Reposted by Bill
imagine you and all your buddies die in a storm and everyone is like wow The Perfect Storm
May 1, 2025 at 4:08 AM
imagine you and all your buddies die in a storm and everyone is like wow The Perfect Storm
Just died, killed by the sixth photo on my phone.
I guess that’s not a Buddha’s hand on my desk.
I guess that’s not a Buddha’s hand on my desk.
November 27, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Just died, killed by the sixth photo on my phone.
I guess that’s not a Buddha’s hand on my desk.
I guess that’s not a Buddha’s hand on my desk.
Reposted by Bill
one of you is going to be tempted to try to explain the Lizza-Nuzzi business during Thanksgiving dinner
you need to resist this urge
nana does not need to know about this
you need to resist this urge
nana does not need to know about this
November 27, 2025 at 12:02 AM
one of you is going to be tempted to try to explain the Lizza-Nuzzi business during Thanksgiving dinner
you need to resist this urge
nana does not need to know about this
you need to resist this urge
nana does not need to know about this
Reposted by Bill
A sequel/reboot where the trash robot constantly looks at the camera like it’s The Office called Fourth WALL-E
November 26, 2025 at 7:48 PM
A sequel/reboot where the trash robot constantly looks at the camera like it’s The Office called Fourth WALL-E
Reposted by Bill
There is NO FUCKING EXCUSE for this to be happening.
I had a baby die in my arms of pertussis some fifty years ago. It was a HORRIBLE death. But my fellow nurses said to me, "It's almost stamped out now, they're all getting the shots, we won't be seeing this again."
HOW THE FUCK ARE WE HERE. 😡
I had a baby die in my arms of pertussis some fifty years ago. It was a HORRIBLE death. But my fellow nurses said to me, "It's almost stamped out now, they're all getting the shots, we won't be seeing this again."
HOW THE FUCK ARE WE HERE. 😡
A third infant has died in Kentucky, KYDPH adds:
“These are Kentucky’s first pertussis deaths since 2018. None of the infants nor their mothers received the recommended pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy or early infancy.”
s3.amazonaws.com/nursing-netw...
“These are Kentucky’s first pertussis deaths since 2018. None of the infants nor their mothers received the recommended pertussis vaccinations during pregnancy or early infancy.”
s3.amazonaws.com/nursing-netw...
November 25, 2025 at 10:01 PM
There is NO FUCKING EXCUSE for this to be happening.
I had a baby die in my arms of pertussis some fifty years ago. It was a HORRIBLE death. But my fellow nurses said to me, "It's almost stamped out now, they're all getting the shots, we won't be seeing this again."
HOW THE FUCK ARE WE HERE. 😡
I had a baby die in my arms of pertussis some fifty years ago. It was a HORRIBLE death. But my fellow nurses said to me, "It's almost stamped out now, they're all getting the shots, we won't be seeing this again."
HOW THE FUCK ARE WE HERE. 😡
Any time you see a really stupid food take from a blue check you haven't heard of, it's a sports guy. It's some white sports commentator who's scared of broccoli or some fucking thing.
November 25, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Any time you see a really stupid food take from a blue check you haven't heard of, it's a sports guy. It's some white sports commentator who's scared of broccoli or some fucking thing.
And Claudia Weill gets to do whatever she wants.
If you were a despotic president, what movie would you force Hollywood to make? I want to see Quentin's Star Trek movie or maybe Kill Bill Vol 3.
November 25, 2025 at 9:11 PM
And Claudia Weill gets to do whatever she wants.
Steven Kostanski's Lord of the Rings.
If you were a despotic president, what movie would you force Hollywood to make? I want to see Quentin's Star Trek movie or maybe Kill Bill Vol 3.
November 25, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Steven Kostanski's Lord of the Rings.
Reposted by Bill
I have some thoughts on this photo of Young Pope Leo, aka A 2nd Season Of The O.C. Short Lived Boyfriend For Marissa Cooper.
November 22, 2025 at 12:43 AM
I have some thoughts on this photo of Young Pope Leo, aka A 2nd Season Of The O.C. Short Lived Boyfriend For Marissa Cooper.
Reposted by Bill
[the hold steady voice]
They’re getting rid of the Frank Sinatra music at the dancing fountain in Las Vegas. At the Bellagio casino. And they’re replacing it with Jelly Roll. They’re going to make the water red, white, and blue. And every night they’ll pick one kid to go into the fountain and wave. I’ll be there. Will you?
November 25, 2025 at 11:35 AM
[the hold steady voice]