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Sarah Barsness

@sarahbarsness.bsky.social
896 followers 410 following 610 posts

Digital archivist. Minnesotan. Giant nerd. Fiber artist. Sword fighter. Carb enthusiast.

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Reposted by Sarah Barsness
nick @unionnick.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
On the *same day* the Cornell Seven drugged and raped Jane Doe, Cornell banned four students (including the President of Cornell JVP) from campus for three years for nonviolent, pro-Palestine protests. The same Cornell officials let the rapists off with apology essays.
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McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 26/09/2026
"Ever wonder why women over fifty become invisible? It’s not because society no longer values them; it’s because they’ve changed into superior lizard beings who can smell misogyny and then wedge themselves into a tight crevice until the threat passes." buff.ly/F8vQT1N
buff.ly
I Can’t Wait Until I Turn Fifty and Morph into a Lizard Person
“Ever wonder why women over fifty become invisible? It’s not because society no longer values them; it’s because they’ve changed into superior lizard beings ...
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Pro Tip: when someone else fights the good fight on an issue you aren't super-passionate about or that doesn't impact you very much, it's both easier and more pleasant to be grateful for their work to benefit our society than it is to be mad that *your* passions aren't *their* priority.
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
It is genuinely scary thing to think about how fragile our bodies/health are. But it is beyond cruel (and incredibly commonplace) to be so deep in denial that you need to pretend that that disabled/chronically ill folks are simply not doing a good enough job at controlling their bodies.
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Reposted by Sarah Barsness
Jessica Ellis @baddestmamajama.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Nobody is going to want to hear this, but a real risk we face, no matter who is president next, is that they will see no need to restore the rights lost or the executive power stolen in the last 10 years.
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ashley fairbanks @ziibiing.com · 12/09/2026
we tracked months of rent payments to an estimated 13,000 families. the expected cost of rehousing those families, had they entered eviction, would be north of $218 million dollars. keeping them housed cost around $38-40 million
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ashley fairbanks @ziibiing.com · 12/09/2026
i am incredibly excited to share our research about how paying people’s rent through mutual aid made an impact on minnesota this year we accidentally collected more data than anyone ever has for an effort like this, and can very seriously say we prevented an eviction bubble that everyone expected
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ashley fairbanks @ziibiing.com · 11/09/2026
we don’t teach young people short-term history, so it was weird when i realized that gen z had no idea that so many gen x and millennials spent our high school years protesting george w bush and not just because of the wars, but because mosques were being targeted and sikh men were being attacked
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
This is absolutely true on both a logistical (governmental organization, policy) level and on a philosophical (political rhetoric, cultural discourse) level.
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Dr Florence H R Scott @florencehrscott.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Bayeux Tapestry good but massively upstaged by seeing a cat in a ruff right before
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I'm working on a task I've been struggling with & it's visible to colleagues (so embarassing), but they're lovely about it. As I'm waiting for my computer to do stuff, I take a peek at Bluesky and this is at the top of the TL. Just a perfect reminder that I also need to have patience with myself.
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Maybe It Will Happen Today @today-maybe.bsky.social · 21/04/2025
Digital illustration. On top of a grassy hill are a stack of dimensionally-rendered letters reading ‘Maybe it’ll happen today’. A bunny and a squirrel and a bird and a butterfly are nearby. A little mouse is poking its head out of the’O’ in ‘Today’. There are flowers and colorful mushrooms in the grass. A friendly orange sun in a blue sky with one puffy cloud is the background.
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beeps @beeps.gay · 08/09/2026
My accessible colour contrast checking tool now has a proper name: Battenburg. battenburg.app Cuz the icon I made for it looks like the cross section of a Battenburg cake and I like to give my projects fun names.
battenburg.app
Battenburg - WCAG contrast ratio color checker
A quick and simple tool for comparing an entire palette of colours for WCAG accessible contrast.
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Actual names @actualnames.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Jesus Bitches Spouse Argentina, San Juan, Catholic Church Records, 1655-2013
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
This is how we do in Minnesota. We make art. We embrace kitsch and silliness. And (at least in my circles and especially since 2020) we don't shy away from uncomfortable truths, even if we come at them indirectly (that passive-aggressive vein runs deep). This manages to do all of that at once.
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LarryLegend @bwtrainer.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
if someone tells you you don't need a union, you 100% need a union
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
For non-MN folks, a beloved part of the fair is a pond outside the DNR building, stocked with native fish. It's got signs so you can learn to identify them and there are always at least 3 random middle-aged men who will happily tell you which "have some good eatin' on 'em."
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ashley fairbanks @ziibiing.com · 25/08/2026
a roof over every head food in our stomachs healthcare for all bodily autonomy freedom to love/marry who you want safety to be yourself freedom to worship, or to not clear air, water, soil safe roads accessibility in all spaces a living wage fair taxes to fund the public good our radical agenda
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Dr. Ben Mitchell @drlibraryben.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
207 now, and #NeuroGLAM2026 is today!
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tweety fish @sifu.tweety.fish · 20/08/2026
I'm sorry but "a huge number of NYC cabs now are remaindered EVs running grey market software written by some dude in a garage" is the most cyberpunk thing I've ever heard
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Phil Salvador @philsalv.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Not only do digital things not last forever, digital objects are even more fragile than physical ones! You can put a piece of paper on a shelf for a century, but you probably can't read a Unity project from 10 years ago
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Stacey Burns @wentrogue.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Just when I thought I couldn’t love MN Secretary of State Steve Simon more
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
A thread in which my professional world of IP rights meets my personal world, namely my deep and abiding love for Regency romance novels in which a previously normal guy has to become a duke due to inheritance stuff and he absolutely hates it.
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Another solid reason to follow @infinitescream.bsky.social -- they somehow always manage to show up at just the right spots in my timeline.
A post from a Bluesky user about an "expert witness" in a court case using ChatGPT to write a report from a foregone conclusion -- being that a company was not at fault for an explosion that killed 3 people. It is followed immediately by a well-placed scream into the void from the Endless Screaming bot.
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Quinn Daedal @quinnanya.me · 12/08/2026
I keep trying to tell people that a website is a pony and you either have to keep feeding and cleaning up after it or put it down and there's usually no magic option where someone else handles all that. Same goes for archives, but stakes & responsibility are heavier. Don't take it on lightly.
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Erik Vorhes @erikvorhes.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
It’s a bold strategy. Let’s see if it works out for her.
yahoo.com
Michele Tafoya: 'It's Embarrassing To Tell People' she's from Minnesota
Michele Tafoya: 'It's Embarrassing To Tell People' she's from Minnesota
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Liam Davis Temple @liam2manynames.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Grateful to live in a place where over 80% of my neighbors are smart enough not vote for someone who helped unleash ICE on our community. Tonight’s results affirm what we all went through this year & sent a clear message that no matter how much money you spend on ads you can’t rewrite our history.
Senate
Precinct
Peggy%
Peggy
Angie
1-1
81.16%
336
75
1-2
81.84%
320
68
1-3
87.08%
337
45
1-4
86.59%
949
133
1-5
76.78%
721
211
1-6
77.72%
1043
287
1-7
80.69%
1128
253
1-8
77.32%
467
127
1-9
84.62%
864
149
1-10
75.32%
708
224
1-11
86.73%
686
100
Total

7559
1672


81.08%
17.93%
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
No utilikilts in my suburban precinct, but this is pretty much the vibe. Shoutout to the kid who really wanted to "vote" so we gave them a sample ballot to fill out, it absolutely made my day.
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Personally, I don't mind if you pick up an email thread months or even years later. It happens ALL THE TIME in archives. Sometimes you think you're ready to tackle something, but you find out (surprise!) it's way bigger & more complex & emotionally loaded than you originally thought. That's okay!
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
local folks, do you Have Some Opinions about 694 between lexington and brooklyn blvd? i bet you do! share them with mndot: talk.dot.state.mn.us/i694-brookly...
talk.dot.state.mn.us
I-694 study – Brooklyn Center to Arden Hills
Share your input by attending a virtual public meeting on Wed, Aug 12 or with an online survey and comment map through Tue, Aug 18. About this study We are studying I-694 between Brooklyn Blvd. in Bro...
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psychologically sick with it @publicsexforest.golf · 01/08/2026
literally every time we've gotten our car stuck in the snow in the twin cities <3
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dr. e. katherine @actualkatherine.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
I just want to say: ARCHIVISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Playing DnD for work purposes and it's rad
A table in the library makerspace covered in character sheets and dice
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Iron Spike @ironspike.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Just want to remind folks that this keeps happening. Burials of assumed-important ancients discovered to be women via genetic testing, after decades of them simply being assumed to be male. The patriarchy is incompatible with reality.
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Prof. Allie Alvis 🌷 @book-historia.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Are you familiar with the University of Washington special collections Decorative and Decorated Papers digital collection? If not, you SHOULD be... what a cool resource! digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/coll...
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Saavik ‘Careful of the Ankle’ Ford @saavikford.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Do I really have to? Because I don’t wanna.
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Ana Marie Cox @anamariecox.com · 30/07/2026
This is going to make it very difficult to know which sports we should ban them from.
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Critter (Mike) @illumrial.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Sweaty windows in the morning buttcheeks take warning.
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
The prettiest lunch: caprese salad with nasturtium leaves and flowers. Sat down to eat and realized all the forks were in the dishwasher; ended up having to use a plastic fork.
The prettiest caprese salad that possibly has ever been made, with pearls of fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes, fresh basil, and garnished with variegated nasturtium leaves and flowers.
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
This is stellar info for all of us, not just those who live in Mpls! Just check your county's election website for hours/locations for early voting. Have questions about voting? I'm an election judge, feel free to ask!
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Out-of-state folks who are thinking about visiting MN, your time is nearly here -- the Minnesota State Fair is just over a month away! It truly is an *experience* in Americana and in Minnesotan culture, and is totally worth a visit.
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
If you, like me, find some media to be very good but also emotionally difficult to consume, let me tell you about the unicorn chaser.
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Kate Crowe @kcrowe.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
This kind of potential for accountability is why archivists periodically get up in arms about document retention periods fwiw. Harder to sue or get any accountability w/o documentation.
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Orcspiration @orcspiration.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
DO HARM TO YOUR ENEMIES; TREAT YOURSELF WITH KINDNESS!
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
So I'm looking for ideas, Bluesky. Hit me up with your recs for free or inexpensive stuff that helps you take care of yourself and enjoy the process. Mental health, hygiene, fitness, nutrition, you name it -- if it makes meatsuit maintenance fun for you & costs under $50, I want to hear about it.
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Man in Business Suit Levitating @dfeldman.org · 14/07/2026
Official proposal for a new loon emoji!
Proposal for Emoji: Loon
Submitter: Joe Lencioni
Date: July 8, 2026
This proposal requests an emoji depicting the common loon (Gavia immer), a diving waterbird of the order Gaviiformes, distinct from the Anseriformes (duck, goose, swan) already represented in the emoji set. It fills a gap in the current waterbird category and is visually distinctive at small sizes. The species is Holarctic: known as the loon in North America and the great northern diver in Europe, it breeds across Canada, the northern United States, Iceland, and Greenland, and winters along the Atlantic coasts of the UK, Ireland, and Norway. It carries stable, long-standing cultural significance, appearing on the Canadian one-dollar coin (the "loonie") since 1987 and serving as the state bird of Minnesota and the provincial bird of Ontario.1. Identification
a. Keywords
animal, bira, waterbird, ornithology, lake, diver, eccentric, foolish, crazy
b. Category
Animals & Nature animal-bird
Z. Images
a. Color and black&white example images3. Factors for Inclusion
a. Expresses multiple concepts
The loon is used to refer to the bird itself, and, more loosely, the informal English sense of an eccentric or foolish person.
Additionally, the Canadian $1 coin has carried a loon since 1987, and "loonie" is the standard global nickname for the Canadian dollar itself in the financial press and has productively spawned "toonie" for the two-dollar coin.
b. Can be used with other emoji to convey additional concepts
The loon is highly productive in combination with existing emoji, expressing a range of distinct concepts rather than a single narrow meaning:
• Lake country and wilderness recreation: with we s A 4 * 6ę i to convey canoe trips, north-woods camping, fishing, and lake life.
• The iconic loon call: with & or to evoke the bird's distinctive nighttime call, widely used in media as shorthand for wilderness quiet and "the sound of the north."
• Regional and cultural identity: with tel or in state/provincial contexts to signal "up north" identity, given the loon's status as the state bird of Minnesota and provincial bird of Ontario.
• Clean water and conservation: with 0
to
represent lake health and environmental messaging, reflecting the loon's real-world role as an indicator species for clean freshwater.
• Seasonal and migratory themes: with #
Pe to
convey migration and the seasonal rhythm of northern lakes.
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Micah @rincewind.run · 11/07/2026
what they learned from minneapolis was not “don’t do this again” but “keep it quiet next time”
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chris “bluesky” poster @chrisrd19.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
It’s like when your food is taking a long time to come out so your server brings some free bread to apologize for the wait.
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Pundits: "Don't speak ill of the dead." Historians:
static.klipy.com
Obama - What? Come On Man, Really?
ALT: Obama - What? Come On Man, Really?
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Sarah Barsness @sarahbarsness.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
I keep finding Incredibly Niche Subreddits Full Of Helpful People and it's honestly great. Just thousands of people who are VERY passionate about a thing and realize they can use this superpower for good (impart some knowledge, make recommendations for complex needs or specific budgets, etc)
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