Stephanie Ricker
@quoththegirl.bsky.social
Voracious reader, sporadic writer, pitiless editor, avid tree-climber.
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
Photo by Pierre Lavie. Yes this is me. And I threw my Leica. It landed on the bass plate with hardly a scratch. Another Photographer grabbed it along with my phone and I was able to track him later. I was held face down tear gas deployed right in front of me and pepper sprayed directly into the eye.
January 17, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Photo by Pierre Lavie. Yes this is me. And I threw my Leica. It landed on the bass plate with hardly a scratch. Another Photographer grabbed it along with my phone and I was able to track him later. I was held face down tear gas deployed right in front of me and pepper sprayed directly into the eye.
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
It was the omg what now of times, it was the omg what NOW of times
January 14, 2026 at 5:00 PM
It was the omg what now of times, it was the omg what NOW of times
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
After federal troops forced a fugitive slave named Anthony Burns back into slavery in the 1850s, one Bostonian wrote, “we went to bed one night old-fashioned, conservative, Compromise Union Whigs and waked up stark mad Abolitionists.” The abuse of power radicalizes people. We are seeing that now.
April 18, 2025 at 1:33 AM
After federal troops forced a fugitive slave named Anthony Burns back into slavery in the 1850s, one Bostonian wrote, “we went to bed one night old-fashioned, conservative, Compromise Union Whigs and waked up stark mad Abolitionists.” The abuse of power radicalizes people. We are seeing that now.
Crossing my fingers for this silver lining!
"Admittedly, the door is only open a crack, but it’s been locked tight since the turn of the century. When it comes to a better technology future, 'open a crack' is the most exciting proposition I’ve heard in decades."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
"Admittedly, the door is only open a crack, but it’s been locked tight since the turn of the century. When it comes to a better technology future, 'open a crack' is the most exciting proposition I’ve heard in decades."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Trump may be the beginning of the end for ‘enshittification’ – this is our chance to make tech good again | Cory Doctorow
The US president is weaponising tech, but his tariffs and Brexit provide a surprising opportunity to gain back digital control of our lives, says science fiction author, activist and journalist Cory D...
www.theguardian.com
January 11, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Crossing my fingers for this silver lining!
"Admittedly, the door is only open a crack, but it’s been locked tight since the turn of the century. When it comes to a better technology future, 'open a crack' is the most exciting proposition I’ve heard in decades."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
"Admittedly, the door is only open a crack, but it’s been locked tight since the turn of the century. When it comes to a better technology future, 'open a crack' is the most exciting proposition I’ve heard in decades."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
My goals for 2026 are simple. I shall be:
1. Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Dawn!
2. Treacherous as the Sea!
3. Stronger than the foundations of the earth!
4. All shall love the new me, and despair!
1. Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Dawn!
2. Treacherous as the Sea!
3. Stronger than the foundations of the earth!
4. All shall love the new me, and despair!
January 7, 2026 at 4:23 AM
My goals for 2026 are simple. I shall be:
1. Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Dawn!
2. Treacherous as the Sea!
3. Stronger than the foundations of the earth!
4. All shall love the new me, and despair!
1. Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Dawn!
2. Treacherous as the Sea!
3. Stronger than the foundations of the earth!
4. All shall love the new me, and despair!
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
![Comic. [Comment section on a video. 564 comments, including posts from three different avatars: “Who else is here in 2023?” “Is anyone else watching this in 2017?” “Anyone else here in 2025?”] [caption] For some reason, confused time travelers always try to find each other using YouTube comments.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreia42izz36bkhdteb5743objgf2s3whe3kblmnxnwjvgggtu66ea54@jpeg)
January 2, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
A remarkable trend that will come as a shock to you if your only info about NYC is from this Fox News.
Homicides in NYC...
1990: 2,262
1993: 1,927
1998: 629
2001: 649
2013: 335
2019: 320
2021: 488
2024: 382
2025 (as of 12/28): 302
Homicides in NYC...
1990: 2,262
1993: 1,927
1998: 629
2001: 649
2013: 335
2019: 320
2021: 488
2024: 382
2025 (as of 12/28): 302
December 31, 2025 at 11:40 PM
A remarkable trend that will come as a shock to you if your only info about NYC is from this Fox News.
Homicides in NYC...
1990: 2,262
1993: 1,927
1998: 629
2001: 649
2013: 335
2019: 320
2021: 488
2024: 382
2025 (as of 12/28): 302
Homicides in NYC...
1990: 2,262
1993: 1,927
1998: 629
2001: 649
2013: 335
2019: 320
2021: 488
2024: 382
2025 (as of 12/28): 302
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
More time has passed between the release of The Phantom Menace and now than passed between the two World Wars. Think about it
January 1, 2026 at 5:38 PM
More time has passed between the release of The Phantom Menace and now than passed between the two World Wars. Think about it
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
Open up this picture fully.
Then look at the surface of Mars.
Then look up to the top right.
Spot Mars' moon Phobos high in the sky.
Then notice the bright spot beside Phobos.
That's Earth.
Then look at the surface of Mars.
Then look up to the top right.
Spot Mars' moon Phobos high in the sky.
Then notice the bright spot beside Phobos.
That's Earth.
December 30, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Open up this picture fully.
Then look at the surface of Mars.
Then look up to the top right.
Spot Mars' moon Phobos high in the sky.
Then notice the bright spot beside Phobos.
That's Earth.
Then look at the surface of Mars.
Then look up to the top right.
Spot Mars' moon Phobos high in the sky.
Then notice the bright spot beside Phobos.
That's Earth.
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated that the 1918 flu pandemic was caused by a lab virus from vaccine research, a defective influenza vaccine. Let’s analyze what a lie this is. First, in 1918, 107 years ago, virology was in its infancy
December 27, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated that the 1918 flu pandemic was caused by a lab virus from vaccine research, a defective influenza vaccine. Let’s analyze what a lie this is. First, in 1918, 107 years ago, virology was in its infancy
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
"Did you see what Mark Cuban posted? Oh did you see the clapb—"
You shake yourself awake in the cold North Atlantic water. You are not online. It is July of 1858. You are a baleen whale, and you have changed your mind. The future most not come to pass. The telegraph cable must break.
You shake yourself awake in the cold North Atlantic water. You are not online. It is July of 1858. You are a baleen whale, and you have changed your mind. The future most not come to pass. The telegraph cable must break.
December 27, 2025 at 2:06 AM
"Did you see what Mark Cuban posted? Oh did you see the clapb—"
You shake yourself awake in the cold North Atlantic water. You are not online. It is July of 1858. You are a baleen whale, and you have changed your mind. The future most not come to pass. The telegraph cable must break.
You shake yourself awake in the cold North Atlantic water. You are not online. It is July of 1858. You are a baleen whale, and you have changed your mind. The future most not come to pass. The telegraph cable must break.
Amen.
May the Ents march forth and tear your data centres to the ground
December 23, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Amen.
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
In English we know it as “Carol of the Bells,” but the melody arises from a Ukrainian folk tradition of songs welcoming the new year and summoning the forces of nature to meet human labor and bring prosperity.
Do listen.
I wrote about the history here: snyder.substack.com/p/o-generous...
Do listen.
I wrote about the history here: snyder.substack.com/p/o-generous...
Another beautiful Shchedryk performance amidst ruins.
It was set in what used to be a DTEK thermal power plant — now destroyed by russia.
The contrast between russia’s destructive nature and the Ukrainian will to create beauty even in the darkest times is palpable.
It was set in what used to be a DTEK thermal power plant — now destroyed by russia.
The contrast between russia’s destructive nature and the Ukrainian will to create beauty even in the darkest times is palpable.
December 21, 2025 at 9:37 PM
In English we know it as “Carol of the Bells,” but the melody arises from a Ukrainian folk tradition of songs welcoming the new year and summoning the forces of nature to meet human labor and bring prosperity.
Do listen.
I wrote about the history here: snyder.substack.com/p/o-generous...
Do listen.
I wrote about the history here: snyder.substack.com/p/o-generous...
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
I just posted this Internet Archive link to Facebook, where the aunts & uncles, grandmas & grandpas who watch 60 Minutes after football games live. It’s important that this story doesn’t just circulate on Bluesky.
And now someone has uploaded a version that wasn't filmed off a TV.
There's also the torrent link there, which is probably the fastest way to download the 60 Minutes segment on CECOT if you want to save the file locally to your computer.
There's also the torrent link there, which is probably the fastest way to download the 60 Minutes segment on CECOT if you want to save the file locally to your computer.
Pulled 60 Minutes segment on CECOT : CBS : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
This is a screen recording of a 60 Minutes segment about the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) prison in El Salvador, which was intended to be...
archive.org
December 23, 2025 at 12:30 AM
I just posted this Internet Archive link to Facebook, where the aunts & uncles, grandmas & grandpas who watch 60 Minutes after football games live. It’s important that this story doesn’t just circulate on Bluesky.
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
Wee skrunkleton. Postcard from my collection, 1955.
December 22, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Wee skrunkleton. Postcard from my collection, 1955.
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
The most annoying thing about genAI is that eventually the genAI proponents are going to get to the end of the novelty of it, realize its limitations, and then claim to be the innovators of doing things the long way without genAI. Call it "slow productivity" or something.
December 21, 2025 at 11:38 PM
The most annoying thing about genAI is that eventually the genAI proponents are going to get to the end of the novelty of it, realize its limitations, and then claim to be the innovators of doing things the long way without genAI. Call it "slow productivity" or something.
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
“What I see as a labor economist is we have starved everything to feed one mouth,” says Ron Hetrick, Principal Economist at Lightcast. “These are now three years that we have foregone development in so many industries as we shove food into a mouth that’s already so full.”
Silicon Valley has placed a trillion-dollar bet that gen AI can transform the global economy and pave the way for AGI. But warning signs show the marketing hype has vastly overrated what current AI tech can achieve, creating a bubble with growing costs when it pops, writes @jeremyhsu.bsky.social.
When it all comes crashing down: The aftermath of the AI boom
AI has buoyed the stock market and a struggling US economy but warning signs indicate a bubble that everyone will pay for when it bursts.
thebulletin.org
December 8, 2025 at 5:55 PM
“What I see as a labor economist is we have starved everything to feed one mouth,” says Ron Hetrick, Principal Economist at Lightcast. “These are now three years that we have foregone development in so many industries as we shove food into a mouth that’s already so full.”
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
Get a load of this. 😆
December 5, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Get a load of this. 😆
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
Your annual reminder that the most revealing difference between Irish and Scottish Gaelic is definitely in the words for December: Mí na Nollag (Month of Christmas) in Ireland, and An Dubhlachd (the Blackness) in Scotland. So once again may I wish you all a lovely Blackness.
December 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Your annual reminder that the most revealing difference between Irish and Scottish Gaelic is definitely in the words for December: Mí na Nollag (Month of Christmas) in Ireland, and An Dubhlachd (the Blackness) in Scotland. So once again may I wish you all a lovely Blackness.
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
They're gonna French Toast his ass
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 12:59 AM
They're gonna French Toast his ass
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
Here’s the plaque at West Point with the relevant text highlighted
November 24, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Here’s the plaque at West Point with the relevant text highlighted
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
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 23, 2025 at 8:29 PM
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.
Reposted by Stephanie Ricker
This chart (which applies even more to social media than it did to TV) lives in my head rent free.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
November 23, 2025 at 8:24 PM
This chart (which applies even more to social media than it did to TV) lives in my head rent free.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.
Social media enveloping traditional media means everything and everyone is now competing in the entertainment market. Boring stuff like policy that affects millions of lives doesn’t stand a chance.