Toby Bartels

@tobybartels

Probably the only anglophone Toby Bartels. They/them. Mathematics instructor at a community college in Nebraska. Tolstoyan ex-Catholic. 🏴🚩🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

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Toby Bartels@tobybartels· 28d

Because they're named after St Peter, to whom were given the keys of heaven, which also feature prominently on their emblem.

A coat of arms: A blue field, containing two yellow keys in a saltire cross (handles down), and three white teardrops (at left, right, and bottom), all enclosed in a yellow wreath (open at the top).

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· Jul 10

It sounds like he deserved it.

An excerpt from a Wikipedia article describing how Kimon (Cimon) led a force of Athenians to help Sparta put down a revolt by the helots (a people the Spartans enslaved on the basis of their ethnicity), which the Spartans refused, after which he was ostracized for a decade. Full text follows:

‘Cimon took an increasingly prominent role in Athenian politics, generally supporting the aristocrats and opposing the popular party (which sought to expand the Athenian democracy). A laconist, Cimon also acted as Sparta's representative in Athens. In 462 BC, he convinced the Athenian Assembly to send military support to Sparta, where the helots were in revolt (the Third Messenian War). Cimon personally commanded the force of 4,000 hoplites sent to Sparta. However, the Spartans refused their aid, telling the Athenians to go home – a major diplomatic snub. The resulting embarrassment destroyed Cimon's popularity in Athens; he was ostracized in 461 BC, exiling him for a period of ten years.’

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· Jun 26

in terms of plaque removal vs. a manual toothbrush

Low-resolution detail from a still of a video advertising this product. It's a realistic cartoon showing where a couple of teeth fit into someone's lower gum. There's a white rectangle intruding from above between the teeth, which is actually the whirling bristles of the product, and some magenta dots leading away, which represent the material being cleaned off of the teeth. Relatively large text says ‘1000% more effective, gentle on gums’, with a footnote on ‘effective’ that says ‘in terms of plaque removal vs. a manual toothbrush’ in small print.

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· Jun 18

I don't know, but there's a classical Greek meme for it: www.tumblr.com/classically-... (I realize that I'm implicitly comparing Trump to a Greek god here, but if you read the right myths, it fits. Compare the early note by darkmist111.)

The meme at the link for your convenience. It reads:

RIP to everyone killed by the gods for their hubris but im different. and better. maybe even better than the gods

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· Jun 11

Quote with a great animated villain. (specifically as voiced by @markhamillofficial.bsky.social)

A close-up on the face of the Joker, laughing evilly, in the style of Batman the Animated Series (swiped from Fandom)

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· Jun 7

So I asked straight up if communications are privileged, and it gave me a weasely response about how they're not *necessarily* privileged *yet* in the *traditional* sense, but it totally won't tell anybody, pinkie promise.

NYAYAM

The Al Legal Platform Democratizing Justice

Hello there, I am Nyayam. Welcome to my virtual chambers. What's the legal issue or concern you'd like to discuss? Whether it's a contract dispute, family matter, property issue, or anything else - I'm all ears and ready to help you find the best path forward.

[This is the only part written by me] is this conversation privileged

That's a sharp question - and a legally important one.

The short answer: it depends on your jurisdiction and how you use this service.

Here's the honest picture:

**Not Traditional Attorney-Client Privilege**: I am an Al legal assistant, not a licensed attorney. Traditional attorney-client privilege under common law and rules of professional conduct (such as the ABA Model Rules in the US, or provincial law society rules in Canada) applies to communications with a licensed human lawyer retained for legal advice. That formal privilege does not automatically attach here.

**What This Means Practically**:

• Communications with Al legal tools are not yet uniformly recognized as privileged in US or Canadian courts

• If you are using this service through a law firm or under the supervision of a licensed attorney, privilege analysis may differ

• Courts across jurisdictions are still developing frameworks for Al-assisted legal work

**Practical Advice**:

• Do not share information here that you would only share under strict privilege expectations

• For highly sensitive matters (criminal exposure, litigation strategy, trade secrets), consult a licensed attorney directly to ensure formal privilege protection

• Treat this conversation as you would a research tool - useful and confidential by design, but not court-protected privilege in the traditional sense

**The Good News**: Nothing you share here is sold, shared, or used against you - but "confidential by policy" and "legally privi-leged" are two different things.

Is there a specific legal matter you are working through today? I am ready to help.

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· Jun 4

She keeps hiring old people who advertise in the neighbourhood gazette, and they die later: understandable, not her fault. They die right after they hit the treble C on her piano: suspicious.

Yosemite Sam with an frustrated look in his face, about to plonk his finger on a piano. The piano holds sheet music for Those Endearing Young Charms, with the the next to last note (a treble C) marked in red.

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· Jun 2

Honestly 3 minutes seems kind of slow!

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· Jun 1

I'm not familiar with that so I Googled it, and the AI overview (which has location settings on I guess) greeted me by that name and welcomed me to the city I've lived in my entire life.

A Google search bar showing the text from Piper's post above (‘Hi, I'm Zack, the new dor…’), then a search hit from TikTok for Hi Im Zach Im The Dork Down The Street Commercial (posted 2026 March 2), then the AI Overview, which reads as follows:

Welcome to the neighborhood, Zack!

If you are just moving to [censored city name] and looking for a way to get out and explore your new surroundings, you are in luck. Between checking out the local spots, seeing what the weather has in store, and dealing with all those unpacking boxes, there is plenty to do.

Show more ↓

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· May 30

I've been getting a lot of spam lately to an email address that I need to change, and it looks a lot slicker than what I'm used to. In particular, it looks nice without relying on external images. Today instead of sending me the spam, they sent me the AI prompt they used to create it!

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· May 20

On Delmar Blvd in St Louis MO. Sun is right outside my hotel. Mercury is a little worse for wear, and Venus is missing entirely, but Earth and Mars seem alright. That's as far as I'm going to walk tonight.

A placard with an orange circle representing Sun at the top, then some basic facts about it, but mostly a map showing that if you head to the right down the boulevard you should see placards of the eight recognized planets along the street, to scale. 1 inch represents 80,000 miles (5 billion to 1), and Neptune is 2880 feet (878 metres) down the street.

A placard for Mercury, with more facts and distances to the neighbouring bodies, leaning slightly to the side as if something hit it once.

A placard for Earth, with facts, and also facts about Moon.

A placard from Mars, with facts, and no mention of its satellites.

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· May 15

My actual parents, if the guy holding the pitchfork has just said a pun that he thinks is hilarious and is waiting for your reaction.

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· May 6

Not that I can see. This is all I get (which you should also see if you click on her @ above):

← Error

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Not Found

Account has been suspended

⥀ Try again

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· May 4

But just for you tonight, We're divorced beheaded … LIVE!!!

All six Queens singing at once on the Broadway stage (with lots of energy and lights).

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· Apr 18

A little poodle and a big doodle, standing in the grass, braced against the wind, or possibly pooping

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· Mar 25

Oh, that's the self-destruct button!

Doofenshmirtz, dressed like Darth Vader, blowing up a walnut with a miniature Death Star

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· Mar 24

I can see him already.

The post above, with a time stamp in CDT, showing 14 reposts, 184 likes, 15 saves, and 10 replies. In case your screen reader isn't identifying the emoji in the post above … it's a sasquatch (‘hairy creature’).

Toby Bartels@tobybartels· Mar 17

I mean, just look at this thing, rising majestically above the prairie! And that statue on top? It's called The Sower; they're not even being subtle about this.