RLBartlett
@rlbartlett.bsky.social
they/he
poet ✍🏻 disabled ♿️ gay 🏳️🌈 polyamorous
poet ✍🏻 disabled ♿️ gay 🏳️🌈 polyamorous
Reposted by RLBartlett
James Merril’s poem “Christmas Tree,” written while he was dying of AIDS. 1995.
December 24, 2025 at 1:43 PM
James Merril’s poem “Christmas Tree,” written while he was dying of AIDS. 1995.
Reposted by RLBartlett
Reposted by RLBartlett
Explaining Mr. Rogers to kids who didn't grow up with him is a trip because he sounds like a political juggernaut.
When public pools were segregated, he put his feet in a kiddy pool with Officer Clemmens, a Black man.
He saved PBS by addressing senate.
He made his show accessible for blind kids.
When public pools were segregated, he put his feet in a kiddy pool with Officer Clemmens, a Black man.
He saved PBS by addressing senate.
He made his show accessible for blind kids.
December 21, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Explaining Mr. Rogers to kids who didn't grow up with him is a trip because he sounds like a political juggernaut.
When public pools were segregated, he put his feet in a kiddy pool with Officer Clemmens, a Black man.
He saved PBS by addressing senate.
He made his show accessible for blind kids.
When public pools were segregated, he put his feet in a kiddy pool with Officer Clemmens, a Black man.
He saved PBS by addressing senate.
He made his show accessible for blind kids.
"Profits collapsed. Newsroom morale soared."
Amazing
Amazing
Highly amused by the stories of companies using agentic AI chatbots to run their internal company stores, only for their employees to immediately Bugs Bunny the chatbot into giving them free stuff www.aiweirdness.com/when-a-chatb...
When a chatbot runs your store
You may have heard of "agentic AI", which is basically the idea that you can hook up a large language model to controls that do real things. The controls might run internet searches, run commands to o...
www.aiweirdness.com
December 21, 2025 at 8:32 PM
"Profits collapsed. Newsroom morale soared."
Amazing
Amazing
Reposted by RLBartlett
This isn’t even all of the AIDS quilt. It was so long they didn’t have room to display it all. Reagan flat out fucking murdered queer people
These are the "good and decent people" who didn't survive the Reagan presidency.
December 17, 2025 at 3:37 AM
This isn’t even all of the AIDS quilt. It was so long they didn’t have room to display it all. Reagan flat out fucking murdered queer people
Reposted by RLBartlett
I try to focus on posting about art and comics and not my complaints about the state of everything but GOOD GRIEF
December 17, 2025 at 5:47 AM
I try to focus on posting about art and comics and not my complaints about the state of everything but GOOD GRIEF
Reposted by RLBartlett
All of this. Be extremely wary of those words. They’re part of the reason I withdrew a story from a dream market this year.
If you see the words 'irrevocable', 'in perpetuity', 'formats not yet invented', 'net after costs', 'all rights', you're selling every damn thing you could make money from as an author for a one time payment, or in this case, a promise.
Signing this gives the publisher money meant for you forever.
Signing this gives the publisher money meant for you forever.
Behold, if you will, the...astonishing...contract from Shadow Light Press. A rolling 10-year term...payment on profit (but only after costs are recouped)...appropriation of the author's universe if they can't continue the series...and more www.reddit.com/r/Progressio...
December 17, 2025 at 11:42 AM
All of this. Be extremely wary of those words. They’re part of the reason I withdrew a story from a dream market this year.
Reposted by RLBartlett
Those Dems should think about what percentage of the population is Palestinian and how that went for them last election.
Some Dems have told themselves only ~1% of the population is trans so they can dip their toe in the anti-trans filth and come out clean.
I don't have any trans family members—but it still makes me irate. I see it as a huge red flag, a sign you are unprincipled and untrustworthy. And I'm not alone.
I don't have any trans family members—but it still makes me irate. I see it as a huge red flag, a sign you are unprincipled and untrustworthy. And I'm not alone.
We are parents of a trans kid and our family takes this very, very personally. If you intentionally make life harder for our beloved daughter, it’s EXTREMELY hard to think of you as an ally, to say the least. @amyklobuchar.com - you still send us requests for money, while hurting our kid. Disgusted.
December 16, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Those Dems should think about what percentage of the population is Palestinian and how that went for them last election.
Reposted by RLBartlett
I don’t use social media to argue about politics with strangers.
I use social media to talk to people about fish.
When I talk about fish on Bluesky, people ask me questions about fish.
When I talk about fish on Twitter, people threaten to murder my family because we’re Jewish.
I use social media to talk to people about fish.
When I talk about fish on Bluesky, people ask me questions about fish.
When I talk about fish on Twitter, people threaten to murder my family because we’re Jewish.
"Bluesky is an echo chamber."
"Bluesky doesn't have enough reach"
"Liberals must return to X to challenge the far right"
I'm not a tech bro or a journalist. Your priorities are not my priorities. Stop telling me I need to do anything other than chat about comics & telly with people who seem nice.
"Bluesky doesn't have enough reach"
"Liberals must return to X to challenge the far right"
I'm not a tech bro or a journalist. Your priorities are not my priorities. Stop telling me I need to do anything other than chat about comics & telly with people who seem nice.
December 15, 2025 at 11:44 AM
I don’t use social media to argue about politics with strangers.
I use social media to talk to people about fish.
When I talk about fish on Bluesky, people ask me questions about fish.
When I talk about fish on Twitter, people threaten to murder my family because we’re Jewish.
I use social media to talk to people about fish.
When I talk about fish on Bluesky, people ask me questions about fish.
When I talk about fish on Twitter, people threaten to murder my family because we’re Jewish.
Reposted by RLBartlett
A new investigation revealed that school districts and local governments are reportedly overpaying for supplies because of Amazon contracts that bind them to dynamic pricing.
Rather than allow for competitive bidding, the deals “covertly raise prices and inflate costs for governments.”
Rather than allow for competitive bidding, the deals “covertly raise prices and inflate costs for governments.”
December 12, 2025 at 5:01 PM
A new investigation revealed that school districts and local governments are reportedly overpaying for supplies because of Amazon contracts that bind them to dynamic pricing.
Rather than allow for competitive bidding, the deals “covertly raise prices and inflate costs for governments.”
Rather than allow for competitive bidding, the deals “covertly raise prices and inflate costs for governments.”
Do you guys see this as more like
"Fellas, to be a straight man you have to put more effort on impressing other men than anything else. Our entire identity as men revolves around our history of dissappointing women."
Or
"OWO do you think I look big and strong when I am grumpy wumpy?"
"Fellas, to be a straight man you have to put more effort on impressing other men than anything else. Our entire identity as men revolves around our history of dissappointing women."
Or
"OWO do you think I look big and strong when I am grumpy wumpy?"
"Everything straight is actually gay" is my favourite kind of ragebait posts by these morons.
December 10, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Do you guys see this as more like
"Fellas, to be a straight man you have to put more effort on impressing other men than anything else. Our entire identity as men revolves around our history of dissappointing women."
Or
"OWO do you think I look big and strong when I am grumpy wumpy?"
"Fellas, to be a straight man you have to put more effort on impressing other men than anything else. Our entire identity as men revolves around our history of dissappointing women."
Or
"OWO do you think I look big and strong when I am grumpy wumpy?"
Reposted by RLBartlett
The reason AI can't create good art is that it can never evoke that sense of "well clearly this was a kind of self harm for you but I'm glad you figured some of it out. Jesus fucking Christ I hope you get therapy though" that is so essential to some of the best art
One of the many reasons AI can't produce good writing is it can't hate its own writing. It can't think to itself "Maybe I'm illiterate" during the writing process. And that's essential
December 10, 2025 at 10:26 AM
The reason AI can't create good art is that it can never evoke that sense of "well clearly this was a kind of self harm for you but I'm glad you figured some of it out. Jesus fucking Christ I hope you get therapy though" that is so essential to some of the best art
Reposted by RLBartlett
Ever see a mirror in a birdcage? People put mirrors in the cages so birds don’t feel lonely. They see their reflection and think they have a friend.
I think about that whenever someone says a chatbot is their buddy.
I think about that whenever someone says a chatbot is their buddy.
December 10, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Ever see a mirror in a birdcage? People put mirrors in the cages so birds don’t feel lonely. They see their reflection and think they have a friend.
I think about that whenever someone says a chatbot is their buddy.
I think about that whenever someone says a chatbot is their buddy.
Reposted by RLBartlett
also always deeply funny that every sci-fi video game from 1999-2014 was trying to be Aliens, and copied everything except the...working class woman protagonist
Everyone imitates Tolkien all the time except when it comes to the one way it would really matter: making the protagonist of your novel for children a short, fat, 50-year-old man who doesn't want to do anything.
December 9, 2025 at 3:02 AM
also always deeply funny that every sci-fi video game from 1999-2014 was trying to be Aliens, and copied everything except the...working class woman protagonist
Reposted by RLBartlett
Quick, somebody tell all the CEOs.
After much research and development I have made an offline version of ChatGPT.
Now you can save water and electricity while navel-gazing, and carry one of the world's most powerfully annoying AI chatbots in your pocket.
Now you can save water and electricity while navel-gazing, and carry one of the world's most powerfully annoying AI chatbots in your pocket.
December 8, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Quick, somebody tell all the CEOs.
Reposted by RLBartlett
In today’s video, I breakdown 3 reasons why U.S. foreign spending on HIV is not “aid” or an”gift”
December 8, 2025 at 2:00 PM
In today’s video, I breakdown 3 reasons why U.S. foreign spending on HIV is not “aid” or an”gift”
Popular, you're gonna be popular
Turn glass the verdant hue
Poison bottles from 1902
Then we'll squish your face like so
Because we want to turn your IP into art that blows
Don't be offended by my frank analysis
I don't know why some would pay so much for this
Turn glass the verdant hue
Poison bottles from 1902
Then we'll squish your face like so
Because we want to turn your IP into art that blows
Don't be offended by my frank analysis
I don't know why some would pay so much for this
There is an official Swarovski collab with Wicked and the Elphaba is so bad and 700 dollars
December 8, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Popular, you're gonna be popular
Turn glass the verdant hue
Poison bottles from 1902
Then we'll squish your face like so
Because we want to turn your IP into art that blows
Don't be offended by my frank analysis
I don't know why some would pay so much for this
Turn glass the verdant hue
Poison bottles from 1902
Then we'll squish your face like so
Because we want to turn your IP into art that blows
Don't be offended by my frank analysis
I don't know why some would pay so much for this
Reposted by RLBartlett
Whoever put this sign on London tabloid rag sheets gets a 🖖 from me.
F**k the billionaires.
F**k the billionaires.
December 7, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Whoever put this sign on London tabloid rag sheets gets a 🖖 from me.
F**k the billionaires.
F**k the billionaires.
Reposted by RLBartlett
So real it’s not even satire. Not far off from being a biology teacher in the American Bible Belt
Credit: Joe Flanders Comics
Credit: Joe Flanders Comics
December 7, 2025 at 2:35 PM
So real it’s not even satire. Not far off from being a biology teacher in the American Bible Belt
Credit: Joe Flanders Comics
Credit: Joe Flanders Comics
Reposted by RLBartlett
Cat in the Garden — Anastasia Trusova 2024
Acrylic on canvas
Acrylic on canvas
December 7, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Cat in the Garden — Anastasia Trusova 2024
Acrylic on canvas
Acrylic on canvas
Reposted by RLBartlett
December 8, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Reposted by RLBartlett
I don't know who needs to hear this but sometimes a sketch is just meant to be a sketch and not a finished piece.
Not everything has to be a "finished" thing. Maybe the sketch IS the finished version of that thing. If you learned from it, took what you needed, it had its purpose fulfilled.
Not everything has to be a "finished" thing. Maybe the sketch IS the finished version of that thing. If you learned from it, took what you needed, it had its purpose fulfilled.
December 8, 2025 at 6:47 AM
I don't know who needs to hear this but sometimes a sketch is just meant to be a sketch and not a finished piece.
Not everything has to be a "finished" thing. Maybe the sketch IS the finished version of that thing. If you learned from it, took what you needed, it had its purpose fulfilled.
Not everything has to be a "finished" thing. Maybe the sketch IS the finished version of that thing. If you learned from it, took what you needed, it had its purpose fulfilled.
Reposted by RLBartlett
"I'll burn down your house" - legally actionable, boring, common
"I told the trees about you" - legally acceptable, foreboding, unsettling, the plants know your name and hate you
"I told the trees about you" - legally acceptable, foreboding, unsettling, the plants know your name and hate you
December 7, 2025 at 11:56 PM
"I'll burn down your house" - legally actionable, boring, common
"I told the trees about you" - legally acceptable, foreboding, unsettling, the plants know your name and hate you
"I told the trees about you" - legally acceptable, foreboding, unsettling, the plants know your name and hate you
Reposted by RLBartlett
it's interesting how little the gop messaging apparatus, from the press secretary to election mailers, deviates from "i know you are but what am i"
LESLEY STAHL: You contributed to the toxic culture. You were out there pounding, insulting people
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE: You've contributed to it as well
STAHL: I want you to respond to what you have done in terms of insulting people
MTG: I'd like for you to respond to that
December 8, 2025 at 1:18 AM
it's interesting how little the gop messaging apparatus, from the press secretary to election mailers, deviates from "i know you are but what am i"
Reposted by RLBartlett
I think a whole pile of folks with newspaper columns really need to reckon with the fact that seeing disabled people - especially disabled people who aren't kids or elderly - makes them uncomfortable, and that that's *their* hangup to get over, not anyone else's to do owt about.
December 8, 2025 at 9:54 AM
I think a whole pile of folks with newspaper columns really need to reckon with the fact that seeing disabled people - especially disabled people who aren't kids or elderly - makes them uncomfortable, and that that's *their* hangup to get over, not anyone else's to do owt about.