Elaine McGirr
@emmcgirr.bsky.social
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Eighteenth-century & theatre historian; cat & child wrangler; immigrant.
It's my first day of research leave. & while I have a truly terrifying number of things that must be written in the next 6 months, today I'm settling down to read, because *research*
about 2 hours ago
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Elaine McGirr
Margot Finn
5 days ago
2025 has been a rotten year for most early career postdoctoral researchers, especially in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. For a better 2026, check out (or repost) this short thread on a free resource for UK-based SHAPE PhDs within 10 years (excluding career breaks) of the doctorate. 1/3
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Early Career Researcher Network
An inclusive, researcher-led network for UK-based early career researchers working in the humanities and social sciences
https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/early-career-researcher-network/
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Happy Boxing Day to all who celebrate
10 days ago
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reposted by
Elaine McGirr
Dr Andrew McInnes
15 days ago
Before essay mills were banned in 2022, advertising for essay mills were all like āstudents, get help with your ideasā and *everyone* knew it was bullshit. EVERYONE! And now universities themselves are encouraging students to āget help with their ideasā from ChatGPT - and itās STILL bullshit!
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Out of office is ON. I am on annual and/research leave from now until September 2026. šš
17 days ago
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Elaine McGirr
Merriam-Webster
21 days ago
Merriam-Websterās human editors have chosen āslopā as the 2025 Word of the Year.
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The remains of end-of-term bounty
21 days ago
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www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
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Hundreds of items stolen in 'high-value' Bristol Museum raid
More than 600 artefacts from the museum's British Empire and Commonwealth collection were taken.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8dyr37qzrno
25 days ago
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š¤¬
25 days ago
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Elaine McGirr
Dr Dave Hitchcock
about 1 month ago
Unfortunately the HE 2025 ballot failed at 39% turnout. I have written about why and about what desperately needs to change in UCU's national structures off the back of this result. Some HEC members need to chi up and understand their role in all this, and how disconnected they are from members.
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The HE Ballot failed, now what?
If youāre reading this it is because today the UCUās 2025 national ballot over pay and conditions in universities has failed. The last timeā¦
https://hitchcockian.medium.com/the-he-ballot-failed-now-what-ff5fd1245e69
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Because the world is too much with us of late, I give you this pure unadulterated joy:
youtu.be/OZqz94ODz18?...
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Miracle on 42nd Street
YouTube video by TheYahsInitiative
https://youtu.be/OZqz94ODz18?si=5YElxyAuC2ZmM40J
about 1 month ago
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Kittens holding paws for your evening palate cleanser.
about 1 month ago
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The children & the cat also had v different reactions to the end of the snow flurry
add a skeleton here at some point
about 2 months ago
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The children & the cat had v different reactions to the snow.
about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Elaine McGirr
Danielle Terrazas Williams
about 2 months ago
Postdoc Opportunity! Washington University in St. Louis - Postdoctoral Fellowship in African and African American Studies (AFAS) and Center for Humanities
networks.h-net.org/jobs/69485/w...
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Washington University in St. Louis - Postdoctoral Fellowship in African and African American Studies (AFAS) and Center for Humanities | H-Net
https://networks.h-net.org/jobs/69485/washington-university-st-louis-postdoctoral-fellowship-african-and-african-american
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Train delayed due to ... a swan on the line.
about 2 months ago
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Elaine McGirr
Tita Chico
about 2 months ago
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@ellierycroft.bsky.social
any thoughts?
add a skeleton here at some point
about 2 months ago
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Ulster (museum) dragons for
@nushpowell.bsky.social
about 2 months ago
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Out of Office is On
about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Elaine McGirr
Dave Andress
2 months ago
Each one of those 98/99% of failed applications represents dozens or hundreds of hours of work for the actual applicant; a vast stack of emails about budgeting, cost-centres, reviews, approvals, HR, Finance Office, Research Support... Pissed. Up. A. Wall. For the sake of only picking "winners".
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It's the time of term when I'm so tires I dream of having a nap. It was a good dream, too.
2 months ago
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I had the *best* time learning & laughing with
@titachico.bsky.social
add a skeleton here at some point
3 months ago
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Tell me you work in a university without telling me: [office phone rings] Me: hello? Them: I'm calling to let you know that we're disconnecting landline phones. We note this line has traffic on it. Me: .... T: ...but we don't know where it is. Who are you and where is your office?
3 months ago
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Not even on the weekends? That's just sad.
3 months ago
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Heads of: History, English, Theatre
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3 months ago
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Who assumed committee meetings were at the same time this year as last & showed up an hour early?
3 months ago
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reposted by
Elaine McGirr
Rebecca Kosick
3 months ago
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DON512/h...
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Head of Research, Archives and Libraries at The British Museum
Looking for a new job opportunity in academia? Check out this job opening for a Head of Research, Archives and Libraries on jobs.ac.uk!
https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DON512/head-of-research-archives-and-libraries
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Day 1 of the new academic year & we have our first email-all failure. Waiting on the reply-all complaints.
3 months ago
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It's that tome of year again: a new academic year about to start, I'm still (again) HOD & I need comfort reading. Must be well-written & not too traumatic. Otherwise anything goes!
4 months ago
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wonkhe.com/blogs/warm-w...
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Warm words from ministers to Universities UK, but a noticeable absence of buttered parsnips
Ministers at Universities UK conference were keen to show their appreciation for the sector ā but Debbie McVitty argues that a deeper relationship with government remains elusive
https://wonkhe.com/blogs/warm-words-from-ministers-to-universities-uk-but-a-noticeable-absence-of-buttered-parsnips/
4 months ago
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reposted by
Elaine McGirr
Bianca āļøš
4 months ago
"But I am a hater, and I will not be polite. The machine is disgusting and we should break it."
anthonymoser.github.io/writing/ai/h...
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I Am An AI Hater
I am an AI hater. This is considered rude, but I do not care, because I am a hater.
https://anthonymoser.github.io/writing/ai/haterdom/2025/08/26/i-am-an-ai-hater.html
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Heavy rain followed by light rain.
#brizzle
4 months ago
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Not now, flesh-eating screw worms
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
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First human case of flesh-eating screwworm parasite confirmed in US
HHS told Reuters patient had returned from El Salvador but beef industry said person had traveled from Guatemala
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/25/new-world-screwworm-flesh-eating-parasite-case-us
4 months ago
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Perimenopausal dreaming: family vacation to the inside of an active volcano.
4 months ago
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reposted by
Elaine McGirr
Daniel F Gosling
5 months ago
The National Archives is looking for an Early Modern Parliamentary Records Specialist. Pros: you'll get to work in the same department as me. Cons: you'll have to work in the same department as me. Details via the link.
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOD893/r...
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Records Specialist - Early Modern Parliament at The National Archives
Start your UK & international job search for academic jobs, research jobs, science jobs and managerial jobs in leading universities and top...
https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOD893/records-specialist-early-modern-parliament
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Armadale, Sir Charles Grandison, Middlemarch
add a skeleton here at some point
5 months ago
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Just realised that I had actually booked today as bonus annual leave so I could fight the laundry & email separately.
5 months ago
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Monday, post-holiday. Mountains of emails & laundry to sort & work through. Cat also decided to show his displeasure abt being left by knocking a full coffee cup onto the sofa.
5 months ago
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reposted by
Elaine McGirr
Chaucer Doth Tweet
5 months ago
You kan not run educacioun lyke a businesse. A businesse ys ther to make a profit. Educacioun ys ther to make the future.
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Last day of holiday. Normally Iām more than ready to go home & get back to work after 2 weeks of idleness. This year⦠could happily spend another fortnight on the Dordogne.
5 months ago
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Teenās summer reading has moved on to _Wuthering Heights_ Me: whatās happening at the Heights now? Teen: the Grange. Heathcliff & Cathy are being mean to Isabella because they are the worst.
5 months ago
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Thar be dragons š
5 months ago
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Girls are reading Austen for the first time, & it is a fracking joy to watch their absolute absorption. Verdicts so far: 1. John Thorpe is *the worst* 2. Edwards Ferrars is a wet wipe, but at least heās not *old* (Col. Brandon is over 30 & therefore past redemption)
5 months ago
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Went to an antique shop. Was not allowed to leave with these delights.
5 months ago
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Teen: whatācha doing? Me: reading my book Teen: I think youāre obsessed with Phineas Finn. Me: ⦠he is, dare I say it, even better than Sir Charles Grandison.
6 months ago
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Home for the next 2 weeks.
6 months ago
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Today is *whispers is* a research day. Iāve no meetings, no pressing admin, no looming crisis. Iāve almost certainly jinxed it now, but if not, Iām writing about theatrical intimacies: the good, the bad, & the frankly unpleasant
6 months ago
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Summer research season has so far been admin summer with a spot of REF reading.
6 months ago
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