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Carolyn E Holmes

@carolyneholmes.bsky.social

4.4K followers 890 following 3.6K posts

Assistant Professor of Political Science. African Politics, Nationalism, and Democracy. Also quilting. Lots of quilting.

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · Nov 1

New quilt! All made of home-dyed cyanotypes, with plants I collected.

It’s been about 2 years in the making, and I’m so pleased with how it’s coming out.

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 8h

I love it!

Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 8h

One thing about my parenting style is that I’m HERE for the kindergarten gossip.

Aubrey was disrespectful today? Sawyer got in trouble? Ruby and Evie got in a fight?

TELL ME MORE.

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 16h

Secondary question: is the most relevant conditioning factor executive/legislative relations (parlimantary v presidential) or electoral system (single member majoritarian v multi-member proportional)?

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 16h

I think it’s a symptom of the ubiquitous toxicity of performative hate-preaching on campus that I find myself very comforted by the besuited and soft spoken Gideons handing out New Testaments on campus.

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 16h

Thank you!

Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 17h

Not really a research question, BUT:

Are physical fights in legislatures more common in parliamentary or presidential systems?

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 1d

Level: unpossible

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 1d

Yummmm! I made acorn bread

Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 1d

I, for one, am *shocked* that the “activist” who was personally responsible for drumming up a frenzy over social media posts that led to the firing of an anthropology professor (and have gotten her targeted by extremist groups) at my university would be anything less than an upstanding worker.

BronSays @bronsays.bsky.social · 1d

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

"A prominent anti-DEI campaigner appointed by Meta in August as an adviser on AI bias has spent the weeks since his appointment spreading disinformation about shootings, transgender people, vaccines, crime, and protests."

Meta AI adviser spreads disinformation about shootings, vaccines and trans people

Critics condemn Robby Starbuck, appointed in lawsuit settlement, for ‘peddling lies and pushing extremism’

www.theguardian.com

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 1d

“Your research: suddenly relevant.”

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 1d

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand:

Archives banned making copies.

Natasha Simonova @philistella.bsky.social · 1d

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand:

New library catalogue website.

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 1d

I’m trying to send him to the post office to do in person verification, but to do that, I need to verify his cellphone number.

Problem? The cellphone is one he hasn’t had in years

So then you try to call and see if it can be changed. Not without verification. How to verify? With the old phone…

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 1d

Right?? I’m just trying to get my Dad logged in to see his benefits. Not sign up.

I’d happily send him to the post office, but I can’t even do that without verifying his cellphone, which is linked to an old number he hasn’t had in years.

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 1d

I'm honestly considering booking a flight myself. I've been trying to do it for 3 days remotely. It's ridiculous.

Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 1d

Hi yes, the Social Security Administration's Online re-verification of Identity is absolutely ridiculous, and asking senior citizens to photograph their IDs and take a selfie is a pretty significant hurdle.

I'm just saying.

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 2d

I just think the guy doing the “arrest me, Daddy” bit to the National Guard is *hysterically* funny.

Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 4d

Signed,
A Hetero-married, quilting and baking enthusiast, with two great kids.

Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 4d

I honestly hate it SO MUCH.

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 4d

The whole “Taylor’s a would-be trad wife” discourse just makes me earnestly wish for the time to do my politics-of-online-crafting-communities project that I’ve been dreaming of…

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 4d

You can also make your own, to suit your space, and make it look a bit nicer.

www.diaryofaquilter.com/how-to-build...

How to Build a Quilt Design Wall | quilting | Diary of a Quilter

Top US quilting blog, Diary of a Quilter, features a tutorial on how to make your own DIY Quilt Design Wall. Click now for step-by-step instructions!

www.diaryofaquilter.com

Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 4d

That’s it, exactly! It’s just a felted side with a printed grid, and the felt has enough friction to (sort of) hold up the blocks, but I also used to put pins through it for security.

I had it in our old house. We don’t have the space for it in our current setup, but a design wall is really so fun.

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 4d

Yes! So I seam ripped out the background on the big star, then y-seamed the little stars into the angles there, and then just sort of cut-as-you-go to make it into a square, and then a square-in-a-square (to put the center medallion on point)

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 4d

Thank you so much!

Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 4d

Thank you!!

Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 4d

Some quilts just belong on beds! I started it maybe 2.5 years ago, inspired by an old wild star quilt I saw in a book. I abandoned it when it was all separate stars (picture 4), because I didn’t know what to do with it…In my finish-it-Fall-2025, I decided to take it apart and put it back together.

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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 4d

Next bit of hatemail I get, I'm just going to respond:

No one has hated my own writing more than me in the third round of revisions. Get. in. line. Sir.

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