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Colleen Barry

@copycurmudgeon.bsky.social

Copy editor (ProPublica, FiveThirtyEight, ESPN), baker, cross stitcher, cat furniture. she/her

14,845 Followers  |  276 Following  |  1,780 Posts  |  Joined: 22.06.2023
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Posts by Colleen Barry (@copycurmudgeon.bsky.social)

An orange cat lying on a seat that’s attached to a window. The sun is lighting up his face and side while other areas are in shadow. He’s directly over a big cast-iron radiator.

An orange cat lying on a seat that’s attached to a window. The sun is lighting up his face and side while other areas are in shadow. He’s directly over a big cast-iron radiator.

Sunbeam, radiator, what more could you want?

04.03.2026 18:48 — 👍 7    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Jesus fucking Christ

04.03.2026 16:51 — 👍 14    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
Preview
What’s driving and delaying e-bike use in the US? A YouGov survey explores what’s driving and delaying e-bike adoption in the US — from leisure use and rental access to barriers like cost and awareness.

You don’t have to take every wacky outlier poll seriously, even from a reasonably good pollster, especially when the sample size is small. A recent and bigger YouGov poll found that only 16% of U.S. adults have even tried an ebike. They can’t both be right, and only one seems in line with reality.

04.03.2026 14:54 — 👍 4    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0

Woke up furious from a dream where I was losing a game at a family reunion because no one else understood the difference between suffixes and compound words.

04.03.2026 13:41 — 👍 11    🔁 0    💬 2    📌 0
An orange tabby cat with white on her lower face and chest looks up at the ceiling with her head angle to the right. She’s dangling one front paw off the sofa.

An orange tabby cat with white on her lower face and chest looks up at the ceiling with her head angle to the right. She’s dangling one front paw off the sofa.

Same cat, same pose, but now she’s looking at a different spot on the ceiling.

Same cat, same pose, but now she’s looking at a different spot on the ceiling.

When your upstairs neighbors are moving out.

04.03.2026 03:47 — 👍 25    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

Congrats, Kory!!!! Also I’m adding the book to my list of hopes to cling to in March, right after “sunlight.”

28.02.2026 02:22 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

A classic of the copy editing genre! But your version has the pleasant addition of actual science.

27.02.2026 22:16 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

ivacheung.com/2016/07/mete...

27.02.2026 20:54 — 👍 9    🔁 1    💬 2    📌 0

I’m a word person and this is more of a science question, but I think asteroids are generally too far out to enter the atmosphere. But meteors and meteorites don’t get that name until they enter the atmosphere, so the atmosphere has to be involved, as I understand it.

27.02.2026 22:14 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Tip: A meteor streaks through the sky but burns up before landing.

A meteorite doesn’t burn all the way up and so hits the ground somewhere.

Think of the ITE on “meteorite” as standing for I Touch Earth.

27.02.2026 20:53 — 👍 14    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 1

It was only after they’d been home for a few days that I realized I’d just adopted basically the exact cats in this @nathannun.bsky.social poster I already owned and loved.

27.02.2026 05:18 — 👍 54    🔁 8    💬 1    📌 0

Check out his Etsy store! There are so many great ones.

27.02.2026 14:04 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

It was only after they’d been home for a few days that I realized I’d just adopted basically the exact cats in this @nathannun.bsky.social poster I already owned and loved.

27.02.2026 05:18 — 👍 54    🔁 8    💬 1    📌 0
An orange-and-white cat loafed on a bookshelf with her front paws folded. She looks like she’s calling you into a meeting and you should be concerned.

An orange-and-white cat loafed on a bookshelf with her front paws folded. She looks like she’s calling you into a meeting and you should be concerned.

An orange cat with white socks stands on her back legs on top of a cat carrier to stare out the window.

An orange cat with white socks stands on her back legs on top of a cat carrier to stare out the window.

Same cat asleep in a hammock high in a cat tree. Her four white feet stick out of the hammock in a jumble and her pink toe beans are visible. The very tip of her tail is also white.

Same cat asleep in a hammock high in a cat tree. Her four white feet stick out of the hammock in a jumble and her pink toe beans are visible. The very tip of her tail is also white.

An orange-and-white cat sitting on a mat in a bathroom. The top half of her is hidden by a shower curtain, but from the shoulders down she is extremely visible. A large black cat sits on the sink nearby, not looking at her.

An orange-and-white cat sitting on a mat in a bathroom. The top half of her is hidden by a shower curtain, but from the shoulders down she is extremely visible. A large black cat sits on the sink nearby, not looking at her.

This is Clementine. She enjoys supervising the neighborhood and not being involved in whatever the boys are up to. Very concerned about snow. Beeps when you stop petting her. Great at hiding.

25.02.2026 21:00 — 👍 8    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
An orange cat stands up and stretches against kitchen cabinets, showing off his wee little tail. It’s only about two inches long and a bit triangular, kind of like a deer’s tail.

An orange cat stands up and stretches against kitchen cabinets, showing off his wee little tail. It’s only about two inches long and a bit triangular, kind of like a deer’s tail.

Same cat sticking his face into a clear mug of coffee on a desk.

Same cat sticking his face into a clear mug of coffee on a desk.

Now he’s trying to bite a piece of flavored popcorn being held by a pair of chopsticks.

Now he’s trying to bite a piece of flavored popcorn being held by a pair of chopsticks.

The cat is now flopped belly-up on a bright green chair. His front legs are folded into his chest and his back legs are at weird angles. He’s twisted around to stare sleepily at the camera.

The cat is now flopped belly-up on a bright green chair. His front legs are folded into his chest and his back legs are at weird angles. He’s twisted around to stare sleepily at the camera.

Some cat facts: This is Rufus. His paperwork says he lost most of his tail in a car accident. He believes that all food is for sharing and all playtime should involve wrestling. He and our other cat, Bertie, have been thundering around the apartment together.

25.02.2026 21:00 — 👍 8    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Believe me, I would’ve brought home a bucketful if my partner weren’t there to hold me back.

25.02.2026 20:35 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Whew!

25.02.2026 19:49 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

I bet she’d understand if you gave her a treat

25.02.2026 19:07 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Yes, they’re a bonded pair! We think brother and sister, but we didn’t get much background information about them so we don’t really know for sure.

25.02.2026 18:59 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

I definitely remember Luna! And I think Zelda, so I must’ve forgotten Phoebe. Please tell her I’m sorry!

25.02.2026 18:58 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Jonathon can I see your pets? I remember two kitties, who am I forgetting?

25.02.2026 18:27 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

She was a bonus

25.02.2026 18:22 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

*slaps roof of your house* This bad boy can fit so many rescue animals

25.02.2026 17:59 — 👍 6    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
An orange-and-white cat and an all-orange cat play tug-of-war with a string.

An orange-and-white cat and an all-orange cat play tug-of-war with a string.

An orange-and-white cat stands on her back legs to stare at herself in the mirror. The angle makes it look like her mirror self is looking at you and asking, “Who the hell is this?”

An orange-and-white cat stands on her back legs to stare at herself in the mirror. The angle makes it look like her mirror self is looking at you and asking, “Who the hell is this?”

An orange cat flops his head over a little railing on one level of a cat tree. He’s lying on his side and looks sleepy and happy.

An orange cat flops his head over a little railing on one level of a cat tree. He’s lying on his side and looks sleepy and happy.

An orange cat and an orange-and white cat lounge on matching gray chairs in a living room. In the background, a black cat’s head is visible over the bed he’s in. His chin is resting on the edge of the bed.

An orange cat and an orange-and white cat lounge on matching gray chairs in a living room. In the background, a black cat’s head is visible over the bed he’s in. His chin is resting on the edge of the bed.

If you are feeling down, may I recommend going to the shelter and taking home between one and six pets? I got two.

25.02.2026 17:48 — 👍 41    🔁 5    💬 9    📌 0

John Edwards

25.02.2026 01:43 — 👍 11    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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my local park is full of hundreds of snow sculptures and someone has been adding museum labels

24.02.2026 19:42 — 👍 8136    🔁 2124    💬 97    📌 265

Both locations are closed & tons of people have the day off so I'm calling it. Today is Start That Book Day 2026! That book you've been meaning to read forever that you just have never gotten to. The one your friend has been bugging you about, maybe even the one we recommended. Start it today!

23.02.2026 14:48 — 👍 47    🔁 11    💬 6    📌 3

Gore effects in horror movies should always be practical. CGI is dull. I want to know it took someone hours to get the stains out.

22.02.2026 23:34 — 👍 102    🔁 12    💬 12    📌 3

That sounds right. I am willing to be morally flexible under the right circumstances.

22.02.2026 23:15 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

How does one become the president of Alps/Provence/Côte d’Azure region? Suddenly considering a career switch. #ClosingCeremony

22.02.2026 21:17 — 👍 8    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0