I wanted to get a video of this ghost crab but every time I got close to their hole they scuttled back in, so I tried getting clever with it. I made a little sandcastle and shoved my phone into it, hit record, and walked away. Crab was VERY suspicious of this addition to their environment.

My favourite typo this morning is "Jewish asp." "Jewish past" is so much less interesting.

Food and Family (with household hints) open.substack.com/pub/judithma...

Dear Spellcheck Would you please give me a reason for your insistence that 'Lebkuchen' should be replaced by 'Lecherous. This is not the first odd suggestion you've made about food. Do you find German food history difficult?

🇦🇺 Writers 3/3 VIC @gillianpolack.bsky.social @xombiekitty.bsky.social @chiefwritesbook.bsky.social @catog.bsky.social @karden.bsky.social @juliettewade.bsky.social @sonjajkaye.bsky.social @elementeds.bsky.social @sfflanigan.bsky.social 🇸🇬 ✍️ @jolantru.bsky.social 🇨🇳 @dei2dei.bsky.social

I have submitted my thesis. If anyone wants to ask if I plan to do another PhD, please tell them "I do not need another one." Really, truly. I now have to finish a rather silly vampire novel, essays, and a book on how we explain history and how this tells us who we think we are.

*INDIANA JONES AND THE CLOSURE OF THE ARCHAEOLOGY DEPARTMENT*

I may be Australian and live in Canberra, but I know these people: blogs.timesofisrael.com/10-people-yo...

I've just done the plagiarism check for my thesis. I am a failure. Anyone expecting otherwise needs coffee. Or tea. Or maybe a good night's sleep. You see, I'm not just a failure, I'm a total failure.

I am almost finished my degree. This means I am in a very particular mood and best avoided. Until Thursday is over, I will adjust your punctuation, clear up three sentences, and fill in two forms as part of any conversation. My mood shows: when two things were delivered today, no-one stopped to chat

Who can forget the Swiss-Austrian Union, or its famous capital - Istanbul.

@princejvstin.com I have a present for you. In the middle of Canberra, an anticline, giving the suburbs some texture. The splash of red is proof that we have autumn leaves... in some suburbs.

I voted today at Old Parliament House. I have a pencil to prove it.

OTHER COVENANTS: ALTERNATE HISTORIES OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE is exactly what it says on the tin; a collection of alternate world Jewish histories, edited by Andrea D. Lobel & Mark Shainblum. www.benyehudapress.c... 1/4

I could be quiet about cleaning my fridge, but antisemites are out in force right now. I'm certain their lives would be improved to know that I have only got breakfast and lunch and then I'm into Pesachtic food. I don't keep very kosher, but right now I want to give a detailed report on all my prep.

Passover is incoming! Less than a day away where I am. My gift to myself this Pesach is to avoid all the wonderful people who believe that hating Jews is more important than festivities.

BookishlyJewish is preparing to count the Omer! What is the Omer? How can you participate? Check out our list and get ready for 49 days of books recs! https://bookishlyjewish.com/?p=2200

Our open letter response to the #USCommerceDept and #POTUS

We take tariffs on our beautiful Heard Island very seriously. We will be consulting all mammals and flightless birds and will make an announcement in the near future detailing our response. #heardisland #tariff #mcdonaldisland #trumptariff

❗️Authors and illustrators: have your books been used to train AI? Today the Atlantic published a search tool allowing authors to search for their books in the LibGen dataset, which has been used to train Meta's AI system. Search here: www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

NEW summary of Khalil case from Judge Furman: —Khalil's attorneys get to talk to him on the phone today and tomorrow; will file amended habeas petition tomorrow —gov't files its motion on improper venue today before midnight; won't remove Khalil from US storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

I've been away for a bit because of computer changes. However, I'm back and felt I should share an entirely inconsequential blog post with you: treehousewriters.com/wp53/2025/02...

Canberrans & Canberra visitors, I will be at the CSFG stall at CanCon late Sat. afternoon & possibly on Monday afternoon. CSFG has heaps of books for sale. I'm a writer, but also a Medieval historian and am happy to chat. I will have potsherds, for those who want to touch the Middle Ages.

I reached 1000 followers! Since most of you don't know me so well, let me share an oldie but a goodie. It's a reading of the story "Impractical Magic" which is a sequel to the novel The Wizardry of Jewish Women. gillianpolack.com/the-wizardry... The print story is here booko.com.au/w/9932998/Mo...

Today is going to be such a long day. A good day to play along. 1 like = 1 thing I love.

I have put out a Patreon poll: it's that time of month: www.patreon.com/posts/poll-1...

I have tussled quietly with Spellcheck recently, but today I regret to inform you that Spellcheck wanted to change 'notable to 'negotiable.' All the notable people who read these words, know that you are not who you thought you were.

Hello! If you or anyone you know wants to pursue a PhD in world literature and/or Australian literature, esp. on islands and incarceration do get in touch! My DECRA project supports a scholarship in this area at the University of Sydney. For more info or to apply: www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships...

Just noting that every single person who told me to fuck off today for venting my trauma as a Jewish person facing antisemitism was on the left.

I am in battle mode. What is battle mode chez Gillian? I'm so glad you asked. treehousewriters.com/wp53/2025/01...

When I reach 1000 followers I should throw a party. I'm too tired for parties, but I'll do something interesting. Maybe a random e-present...

I am a former incarcerated firefighter. I served in a California fire camp from 2009 to 2012. Misinformation is afire on the internet, so here are facts about the prison firefighter program, all in one place. A thread.

This week, I answer two questions in a blogpost. I'll answer more questions next week and the week after. Question time will be open until the end of January. Check the blogpost (and my first answers) for details: treehousewriters.com/wp53/2025/01...

@file770.bsky.social NZ SFdom has some wonderful news. So very deserving, too!! www.facebook.com/creativenz/p...

My thoughts on this first day of the new year: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS_Y...

I was offline until after lunch. My computer misbehaved, sequentially. This means my annual reminder that this is my personal bad joke day is late. It would be my father's hundred-and-first birthday if he were still alive. I miss him so much. Bring out your worst jokes in his honour!

A wonderful holiday season to all those who celebrate. For Christmassy folk, have a very merry Christmas and enjoy every minute of it. May Chanukah be suitably historical and silly. May 2025 be far, far better for all of us than 2024. And to Australians in particular, may the season not be too hot!

I was wildly insomniac the other night and that turned into a blog-rant. A very, very Gillianish rant. treehousewriters.com/wp53/2024/12...

I am already inundated with Christmas stories, especially by one C Dickens. Pity my Patreon folks, because my reaction to this is to write a Jewish Arthurian story, and the narrator is drunk.

My day is suddenly more joyous. A little cartoon zine in the mail that updates me on the lives of friends. It's annual and it makes me happy every single year.

This last week I have discovered that the number of bigoted bullies willing to expose their inner selves in public has grown exponentially this year. Also, while there are Jewish bigoted bullies, they are, proportionally, less common and will even apologise (sometimes) when confronted politely.

I have new followers - welcome all. I should introduce myself, but I'd rather make bad jokes. I shall write book instead. That way I can keep believing I'm a fiction writer. Wait, tonight's writing is NF. Let me rephrase: I can keep believing I'm an historian. (I may have identity problems.)

I'm back from Melbourne where I did many useful things and saw family and friends. The bus broke down on the way home and was delayed for fully ten minutes. it was one of those weeks that was far more fun to experience than to report.

I'm going offline for a few days. If you want to contact me, my email and mobile phone will both be entirely functional. Everything else is going to take a break. I should have done this weeks ago.

Today, Spellcheck does not give me 'Chitosan' for 'Christian'... it gives me 'Anarchistic.' I want to apologise for Spellcheck. I also want to ask is Spellcheck referring to the nature of preparation for Christmas.

For everyone who truly, truly needs this, Chad Gadya has been translated into Ugaritic: opensiddur.org/prayers/luni...

Good writing, by those who know more than Wiki-warriors.

I'm not good at chatting with neighbours, because they move in and out and I'm a bit of a fixture. My upstairs neighbour of 20+ years left a little while ago. We survived the Canberra bushfires together, with candles and much chocolate. Her replacement is just as nice. May there be no bushfires!

I was not expecting 30 likes for my meme post. I'm all up to date and (thankfully) didn't exhaust my writing. Nothing daft can appear at this stage, which is probably a good thing. None of the lost stories have appeared, nor the one that won me enough money to start saving for the flat I now own.

There is a meme about getting to know writing. Today I am encountering problems and thus grouchy, so I'm going to do it my way. For every like on this post, I shall introduce a published book of mine. If the likes outnumber my books,then you get collections with stories or chapters.