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S. Brackett Robertson

@sbrackett.bsky.social

Books, sff, poems, math, art, writing, museums, data, evaluation, puppets, research, dance, education. Occasionally in combination and not necessarily in that order. they/she/elle. EN/ES/FR ok

630 Followers  |  689 Following  |  119 Posts  |  Joined: 10.08.2023
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Posts by S. Brackett Robertson (@sbrackett.bsky.social)

A 1944 map by geologist Harold Fisk charts a 40-mile stretch of the Mississippi River from Friars Point to Gunnison, Mississippi. Fisk used aerial photos and maps to estimate the past and then-present channels. Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/mississippi-rivers-hidden-history-uncovered-by-lidar?fbclid=IwY2xjawQYXkdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFCZ2JBT2tWdVlXMmEzNU5Uc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHsbjW-Yuubr_o_Kfeh0Elzc94geDwfXIZmeNL7NyljEBAOEjH53m2QLSo1NF_aem__4NkCIJ_D8J6mI1e8eMByg

A 1944 map by geologist Harold Fisk charts a 40-mile stretch of the Mississippi River from Friars Point to Gunnison, Mississippi. Fisk used aerial photos and maps to estimate the past and then-present channels. Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/mississippi-rivers-hidden-history-uncovered-by-lidar?fbclid=IwY2xjawQYXkdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFCZ2JBT2tWdVlXMmEzNU5Uc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHsbjW-Yuubr_o_Kfeh0Elzc94geDwfXIZmeNL7NyljEBAOEjH53m2QLSo1NF_aem__4NkCIJ_D8J6mI1e8eMByg

Rivers are living beings.

07.03.2026 01:31 β€” πŸ‘ 2123    πŸ” 540    πŸ’¬ 34    πŸ“Œ 63

When we talk about Baby Boomers not getting off the stage: In 1997, the US president was born in 1946.

In 2007, the US president was born in 1946.

In 2017, the US president was born in 1946.

And next year in 2027? The US president will have been born in 1946.

03.03.2026 20:10 β€” πŸ‘ 10720    πŸ” 3254    πŸ’¬ 198    πŸ“Œ 245
Preview
Aliya Rahman, arrested at Capitol: 'Every time you try to break my body, you fuel my spirit.' β€’ Minnesota Reformer The images of immigration enforcement officials dragging Aliya Rahman from her car when she was trying to get to a doctor’s appointment outraged many Americans, and now she’s been arrested, she says, ...

Aliya Rahman, arrested at Capitol: β€˜Every time you try to break my body, you fuel my spirit.’ minnesotareformer.com/2026/02/25/a...

25.02.2026 21:47 β€” πŸ‘ 225    πŸ” 108    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 10

I hope this doesn’t make me lose my insurance

25.02.2026 22:12 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

It’s day 82 of the ICE occupation of MN.

Although ICE is less present in our central cities, many of our neighbors haven’t been able to work in months.

If you want to raise rent DIRECTLY for an impacted family, adopt a rent!

1/2

22.02.2026 04:54 β€” πŸ‘ 52    πŸ” 20    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Just a quick update from the Twin Cities. (Please forgive the unsolicited message). THINGS ARE NOT BETTER IN MINNEAPOLIS. The media is mostly moving on, Trump is focused on other stuff, BUT NOTHING HAS CHANGED ON THE GROUND. More than 2,000 DHS thugs continue to roam the streets, abducting people 24/7, assaulting legal observers with impunity, and routinely denying 1st, 4th, and 5th amendment rights. Drones and helicopters are overhead every day. Hundreds and hundreds of terrified families have not left their homes since mid-December ... relying on the community to bring them food and help with rent and other necessities. (Those people are NOT violent drug cartel sex offending murderers, as DHS would tell you. Most are legal residents or citizens.)  If anything, things have just become more stressful and intractable (think trench warfare as a suitable metaphor): The resistance is better organized and numerous, but DHS has become more clever and better at disguise... and the county sheriff's office is increasingly supporting them . Do not let anyone tell you that Homans (the new person in charge of the occupation) is making anything better. Do not let anyone tell you that 700 ICE agents leaving the city has made much of a difference; the remaining force (again, ~2,000) is still larger than the entire city's police force (which is legally unable to do anything). Please call your congressional reps ... especially if there is any chance the administration might listen to them.

Just a quick update from the Twin Cities. (Please forgive the unsolicited message). THINGS ARE NOT BETTER IN MINNEAPOLIS. The media is mostly moving on, Trump is focused on other stuff, BUT NOTHING HAS CHANGED ON THE GROUND. More than 2,000 DHS thugs continue to roam the streets, abducting people 24/7, assaulting legal observers with impunity, and routinely denying 1st, 4th, and 5th amendment rights. Drones and helicopters are overhead every day. Hundreds and hundreds of terrified families have not left their homes since mid-December ... relying on the community to bring them food and help with rent and other necessities. (Those people are NOT violent drug cartel sex offending murderers, as DHS would tell you. Most are legal residents or citizens.) If anything, things have just become more stressful and intractable (think trench warfare as a suitable metaphor): The resistance is better organized and numerous, but DHS has become more clever and better at disguise... and the county sheriff's office is increasingly supporting them . Do not let anyone tell you that Homans (the new person in charge of the occupation) is making anything better. Do not let anyone tell you that 700 ICE agents leaving the city has made much of a difference; the remaining force (again, ~2,000) is still larger than the entire city's police force (which is legally unable to do anything). Please call your congressional reps ... especially if there is any chance the administration might listen to them.

A desperate plea sent to me by a Minneapolis resident who's been on the front lines since the beginning of the ICE occupation:

08.02.2026 05:06 β€” πŸ‘ 14980    πŸ” 8424    πŸ’¬ 159    πŸ“Œ 311
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NSA detected phone call between foreign intelligence and a person close to Trump Whistleblower says that Tulsi Gabbard blocked agency from sharing report and delivered it to White House chief of staff

SCOOP: The NSA detected a phone call between foreign intelligence and a person close to Trump last spring.

Whistleblower says that Tulsi Gabbard blocked agency from sharing report and delivered it to White House chief of staff.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

07.02.2026 17:06 β€” πŸ‘ 726    πŸ” 270    πŸ’¬ 25    πŸ“Œ 59

Predicting that this week we’ll hear more conciliatory words from the Administration regarding Minnesota (since they’re starting to realize that ICE has become politically toxic) but everyone outside of Minnesota needs to know that nothing on the ground has changed.

02.02.2026 20:43 β€” πŸ‘ 5948    πŸ” 2140    πŸ’¬ 94    πŸ“Œ 43

Not that you asked, but here's a thread of intriguing (real!) food facts to amuse/bore your friends and family.

Great for gatherings when you need to change the subject!

25.11.2025 04:13 β€” πŸ‘ 304    πŸ” 110    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 23
A digital pencil sketch of four black capped chickadees surrounding some handwritten text that reads β€œYou don’t have to do it alone.”

A digital pencil sketch of four black capped chickadees surrounding some handwritten text that reads β€œYou don’t have to do it alone.”

Just a little scrabbledy sketch to keep spirits up.

I also learned today that a group of chickadees is called a β€˜banditry’ and how cute is that?

26.01.2026 03:53 β€” πŸ‘ 544    πŸ” 194    πŸ’¬ 10    πŸ“Œ 4

Just a quarter?

27.01.2026 05:52 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

View from above

27.01.2026 04:27 β€” πŸ‘ 1091    πŸ” 145    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 3

It's true, there are a zillion books in this thing, too. I own half of them and it was still a good deal.

27.01.2026 05:09 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Look. I'm sure your city is . . . perfectly nice. But do your rocks and fields and frozen lakes cry out for justice as prettily as ours?

27.01.2026 05:12 β€” πŸ‘ 153    πŸ” 20    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
A stylized ruffed grouse bird spreads its wings on this riff on the Rebel Alliance logo. The bird is in the center of a circle, painted in shades of red, green, yellow, and black, in the style of a Pennsylvania Dutch folk painting. A small eight pointed star is to the right of the bird’s head. Under the logo is the text β€œPennsylvania Civil Resistance”

A stylized ruffed grouse bird spreads its wings on this riff on the Rebel Alliance logo. The bird is in the center of a circle, painted in shades of red, green, yellow, and black, in the style of a Pennsylvania Dutch folk painting. A small eight pointed star is to the right of the bird’s head. Under the logo is the text β€œPennsylvania Civil Resistance”

I love this spectacular Ruffed Grouse Pennsylvania resistance bird by Jen Rand ( @jenrand.bsky.social ). The star is a nod to the Quaker tenet of nonviolence, and the style harks back to PA Dutch folk art.

27.01.2026 03:48 β€” πŸ‘ 619    πŸ” 166    πŸ’¬ 22    πŸ“Œ 18
Post image

Here's how to identify some crowd control munitions, canisters of which federal agents have left on the ground after deploying them against people in Minnesota. bit.ly/3YWp1jE

Graphic by Mark Boswell/The Minnesota Star Tribune

26.01.2026 20:09 β€” πŸ‘ 7343    πŸ” 3841    πŸ’¬ 206    πŸ“Œ 529

If you're not from Minnesota: Please study our geography a little bit! When George Floyd was killed, folks thought there were miles between Minneapolis and St. Paul and St. Paul was in Wisconsin. Now Portland and 34th seems "suburban" Please look things up about our state before making things up!

26.01.2026 16:33 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Prospect Park, Home 2 Suites by Hilton. Protesters banging trash cans, pots and pans. Broke a window. Looked like one MPD officer casually holding them at bay in lobby until a Federal Bureau of Prisons team arrived and let loose with gas, smoke, less lethal rounds.

26.01.2026 04:49 β€” πŸ‘ 111    πŸ” 34    πŸ’¬ 13    πŸ“Œ 3

Anyone got snow pics? We just got cold no snow so I want to see yours

26.01.2026 02:54 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

They are executing unarmed people in the streets for trying to protect their neighbors with the full support of the federal government.

24.01.2026 15:44 β€” πŸ‘ 3921    πŸ” 1236    πŸ’¬ 16    πŸ“Œ 25

Yall outside of MN need to know that observers are STILL out protecting their neighbors. Right now. They know the news and they’re still out there.

24.01.2026 16:41 β€” πŸ‘ 7206    πŸ” 1755    πŸ’¬ 35    πŸ“Œ 38

At this point with holding all labor in service of ICE, access to bathrooms, access to restaurants, access to lodging seems to be the minimum we must do

24.01.2026 16:49 β€” πŸ‘ 167    πŸ” 22    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 3

Witnesses are being taken to Whipple.

From a lawyer friend: β€œThey’re trying to keep local PD and BCA from getting statements and confiscating any phones with video.”

24.01.2026 16:39 β€” πŸ‘ 3927    πŸ” 1707    πŸ’¬ 66    πŸ“Œ 177
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Live: Man shot and killed by federal agents in south Minneapolis this morning, police chief says A video appears to shows federal agents wrestling a man to the ground then shooting him.

The Star Tribune reports that federal agents "attempted to order local police from the scene" where a man was shot and killed by feds this morning, but Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara refused and "instructed his officers to preserve the scene."

24.01.2026 16:40 β€” πŸ‘ 21830    πŸ” 8290    πŸ’¬ 961    πŸ“Œ 648

I just don’t understand how people are so cruel as to kidnap people including children and when their neighbors defend their neighbors they shoot them violently.

24.01.2026 16:52 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

ICE thinks Minnesotans will eventually give up, it’s like they’re unfamiliar with Vikings fandom

24.01.2026 01:05 β€” πŸ‘ 3922    πŸ” 679    πŸ’¬ 49    πŸ“Œ 40

Another fact that people outside of MN might find hard to believe:

I cannot participate in any kind of observation of ice activities because they will put me in a database, and follow me when I make deliveries of supplies to vulnerable people, so they can abduct them.

24.01.2026 04:38 β€” πŸ‘ 706    πŸ” 238    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 8
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Disabled son of ICE detainee dies after 30 days of hospitalization It had been months since Wael Tarabishi seen his father. The family is calling on ICE to release Maher Tarabishi so he may attend his son's funeral.

In October, ICE grabbed Maher Tarabishi.

He was a 24/7 caregiver for his disabled son Wael.

At the time of Maher’s detention, disability advocates warned that taking away Wael’s caregiver put his life at risk.

Wael died on Friday at age 30.

ICE caused his death.

They didn’t get to say goodbye.

24.01.2026 03:01 β€” πŸ‘ 20733    πŸ” 11050    πŸ’¬ 890    πŸ“Œ 963

β€œfuck ICE”
β€œand also with you”

23.01.2026 23:41 β€” πŸ‘ 1369    πŸ” 255    πŸ’¬ 23    πŸ“Œ 20