Alex MacFarlane
@aghowes.bsky.social
1.5K followers 280 following 1.5K posts
Peripatetic postdoctoral scholar, researching the medieval Armenian Alexander Romance and 19th-century Caucasus cosmopolitanism. Films, trains, British. They/them.
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aghowes.bsky.social
they're decades behind lotr fanfiction
Reposted by Alex MacFarlane
historianmemory.bsky.social
'I don’t think it’s ever a good idea to deny history. I think it’s always really important to face your own history honestly ...'

Toppling statues is an act of protest. It's about contesting a collective memory. NEVER about denying history.
observer.co.uk/culture/inte...
Nicholas Cullinan: ‘I don’t think it’s ever a good idea t...
The British Museum director on toppling statues, the Parthenon marbles and hosting London’s new star-studded answer to the Met Gala
observer.co.uk
aghowes.bsky.social
I would commit unwise acts for her and die ingloriously
aghowes.bsky.social
I watched like half of this a million years ago and never felt inclined to go back
aghowes.bsky.social
it seems to be a good year for it!
Reposted by Alex MacFarlane
biodivlibrary.bsky.social
It's #WorldAlgaeDay! Japanese algologist Kintaro Okamura (1867-1935) provided taxonomies & descriptions in English & Japanese for his monumental work "Nihon sorui zufu" / "Icones of Japanese Algae" (1907-1942). Find it in #BHLib via
#MBLWHOILibrary
www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography... 🧪
Historic illustrations of algae Historic illustrations of algae Historic illustrations of algae Historic illustrations of algae
aghowes.bsky.social
god willing it's buy one get one free
aghowes.bsky.social
Actually made progress on an increasingly overdue article today! Maybe it is possible to do things!
Reposted by Alex MacFarlane
caioalmendra.bsky.social
Fun fact: Maria Colina Machado SUPPORTS Donald Trump sinking fishing boats off their coast.
logicallyjc.bsky.social
I like how they gave the Nobel Prize to someone fighting for democracy in Venezuela, instead of someone sinking fishing boats off their coast.
aghowes.bsky.social
I love to see an academic book with an actually nice cover
Reposted by Alex MacFarlane
elleisanisland.bsky.social
this cat looks like one of the Old Master painters who's just slept with three servants, argued viciously with his annoying patron about the inferior ham he receives, and then painted his masterpiece out of spite
Collection of paints, brushes and pots on an old table. In the corner a large very fluffy cat sprawls in decadence
Reposted by Alex MacFarlane
nikitagill.bsky.social
I am saying once again that the Conservative attack on the Arts is because they are incredibly envious of artists who they perceive as a group that has “too much” cultural power, a type of influence Conservatives crave but will never have because they’re anti-intellectuals with no imagination.
Reposted by Alex MacFarlane
garethwatkins.bsky.social
Imagine this happening in the UK and not having to sigh 'what do their parents do?' every time you hear about a new band. Wouldn't it be great to hear music from somebody who isn't directly related to the Lord Admiral Wythenshawe Bloodfeast MP, the Butcher of Bangalore?
aghowes.bsky.social
Or, benefits number go down. I'll be off benefits as soon as someone hires me! I'm lucky not to have mental health barriers to getting hired and I'm still struggling, so I feel that 'overdiagnosis' is, in many ways, not the reason a lot of Brits are unemployed right now.
aghowes.bsky.social
A lot of people do want to work and will be happier doing so (hi! it's me!) if they're doing something fulfilling or are earning enough to live otherwise fulfilling lives, but there's caring about that from a place of human compassion and then there's the government's number-go-up approach.
aghowes.bsky.social
There's a dearth of mental health support in this country and if Streeting could be trusted to improve it, I would support that, with the obvious caveats that ME/CFS is not a mental health condition and not everyone's ultimate goal is going to be getting back into work.
aghowes.bsky.social
The combination of wanting to kick people off sickness benefits claimed on the basis of mental health conditions (with the assertion they should get support for their conditions instead) AND wanting to investigate 'overdiagnosis' of mental health conditions is really chilling.
aghowes.bsky.social
I used to listen to a podcast that put out a bonus episode during a fundraiser, specifically for backers, of all the "umm" and "uh"s etc etc that they'd edited out of normal episodes
aghowes.bsky.social
my movie 3 of this month and what a great time
aghowes.bsky.social
truly no one could have foreseen this
aghowes.bsky.social
oh my god. I'm so glad you tried this for the community, but also, oh my god.