Back to work today!

Watching the final episode of Stranger Things and it is neverending. Is this just my life now? An eternity stuck in the final episode of Stranger Things?

Seems about right

To ring in the New Year Phil and I watched The Shining and Phil kept making jokes about how Scatman Crothers' symbolized 2026 and that we think 2026 is going to show up and save us. Reader, he knew what he was doing.

Today is the day a very special man was born, sent to us many years ago to tell fantastic tales and bring messages of peace and understanding. Happy birthday Rod Serling!

This is genuinely horrifying. Fact-free far-right agitprop given accolades by credible media across the political spectrum.

Absolutely right. AI might be able to summarize (poorly) what we currently know, but a major goal of historical research is to find the hidden surprises out there. Let me illustrate …

"The one thing I was pretty sure about when I started was that whatever else happens, everyone agreed that Batman smells." This is important work.

Got to see Die Hard in the theater for the first time ever and despite having seen it a hundred times or so it was like a whole new experience. I also remembered this "fun" "joke" that @crankandrattle.bsky.social used to do

Got to see this beautiful short film by Charlie Kaufman and Eva H.D. at @irishfilminstitute.bsky.social today, with both filmmakers in attendance for a Q and A. Just a lovely experience overall

BILLY EICHNER ANGRY VOICE: It's an 8 bit animated feature film set in the Frogger-verse starring live action George Clooney and it's called "Michael Clayton 2 Colon This Time He's Frogger" and it's a GOLDMINE because BABIES LOVE INTRIGUE!

Its Christmas season, time to watch the The Riverbottom Nightmare Band win again. 😂

Tonight!

Got back from the annual @popmec.bsky.social conference yesterday. Recovering today. Such an inspiring experience, and I had many exciting conversations. Thank you Anna, Laura, and the whole conference team! I also wholeheartedly recommend this organization to any Americanists out there.

Help save American Studies at the University of Nottingham: c.org/Hk65TVQ7f5

This was my post on my birthday last year. This year, as we approach my birthday things are looking up. It's always a mixed bag with a birthday near or on election day.

Seeing as it's #IrishBookWeek, I've put together a Starter Pack of bricks 'n' mortar bookshops. Terrified I've forgotten someone obvious so please let me know of additions go.bsky.app/G4kmxVq

white house has joined bluesky click here to block all official us government accounts instantly bsky.app/profile/did:...

Spooky film fest 2025! Every October I try to catch up on spooky films I've missed or brand new things I'm excited about. Film #1! Promising start but eventually convoluted & disappointing. I actually kinda fell asleep. Distracting wigs & anachronistic-looking take-out coffee cups. #spookyfilmfest25

Having trouble dealing with all of the Americans in football jerseys all over Dublin today.

In the very early stages of a blog about GIFs of femme monsters from horror films and how they recontextualise moving images for humour, relatable and activist content. Have a look! femmonsterarchive.wordpress.com

This was a fantastic and inspiring discussion that I'm sure will continue in future @irishgothichorror.bsky.social and @tlrhub.bsky.social events.

make your trauma bite-sized by calling it lore

O SNL why can't I haz more cowbell?

The next IGA conference will be at the University of Hull, England on 28-31 July 2026! You can find the CFP and more information at hullgothic.wordpress.com

Heads up @igagoths.bsky.social - delighted to announce the CFP for IGA 2026: 'Gothic Selves/Artificial Others' hosted at the University of Hull 28-31 July! hullgothic.wordpress.com

I am absolutely delighted to be taking part in this panel discussion with @murphgothic.bsky.social, @ordonnel.bsky.social, @profdarryljones.bsky.social, and @drdara.bsky.social. I'll be talking about Gertrude Barrows Bennett. It's part of @tlrhub.bsky.social's research festival. Free & open to all!

Ten years ago today I moved to Dublin to return to undergrad education as a mature student at Trinity College Dublin. I was jetlagged, my luggage was missing, I had no job and only a temporary and awkward place to stay, and Phil was still in the US until December. I think everything turned out ok.

Fastway had trouble trying to deliver my package so they held onto it for two weeks without contacting me or responding to my attempt to contact them and then just returned it. These are turbulent times, so it's somewhat soothing that fastway is still reliably the absolute worst. #fastwayistheworst

Half of my feed is Trump jokes and the other half is sexy Watto. Here, the rare post that combines the two. What a glorious day.

Got an offer of marriage through email over the weekend from someone who saw my academic profile. Had a laugh when I realized a friend got the same email, but this is not something anyone should do. No one should ever send this follow-up two days later, either.

I continue to be seriously confused and enamoured with Dublin acoustics as, living much less than 1 km from the Queens of the Stone Age show tonight, I heard slightly more than nothing.

New perfect example of the limits of AI, from songtell.com

Saw Weapons and absolutely loved it. Fun and scary and gory and bonkers. I won't say any more, but I'll leave this picture of McCoy from the 1984 rock fantasy Streets of Fire here for some unstated reason.

Pee-wee: "There's a lotta things about me you don't know anything about, Dottie. Things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you shouldn't understand". Dottie: "I don't understand". PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE released this day in 1985 - UK Poster

This month’s film club watch is the classic supernatural horror film ‘The Haunting’ (1963). Join us on Zoom at 7pm on Wednesday 6th August! Link: www.eventbrite.ie/e/inghs-film... To find links to the zoom look for the "View the Event" button in eventbrite email after registration. Link here:

Reading letterboxd reviews of a horror movie where everyone compared it to the menu and get out and I am like excuse me have you seen another movie, any other movie. Also, this movie is not like those? I am tired.

Action Jackson would drive into this guy's house

Book people: the following small presses have just lost funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Please consider supporting them! A Thread.

Happy god damn fucking fourth of july you stupid fucks, this is totally worth celebrating what a great fucking country, happy fucking independence day please turn in your freedoms at the front kiosk, happy fucking goddamn shitass holidays you pieces of filth, fuck you all 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

OMG

Watched Eyes Without a Face for the first time the other day. Looking forward to talking about it on Wednesday! Can't believe I hadn't seen this gorgeously bonkers movie before. If you want to join our discussion, it's free to register: www.eventbrite.ie/e/inghs-film...

Amanda Donohoe in "Lair of the White Worm" - BOTD

ELM STREET icon Mark Patton is experiencing health struggles and needs our help. Hit the link to donate if you can, and please share. www.gofundme.com/f/unite-for-...

We have a gorgeous poster for our film club event, which is this coming Wednesday 2nd July, designed by @maireadcasey.bsky.social - don't forget to register to get a link to the film and the zoom chat! For more information: www.eventbrite.ie/e/inghs-film...