Alex Searle
@alexsearle.bsky.social
(She/Her)
Student. Historian. Student Historian. Mad cat person who adores her dog. Passionate about architecture, heritage, narrative, historiography, photography, and much, much more.
Student. Historian. Student Historian. Mad cat person who adores her dog. Passionate about architecture, heritage, narrative, historiography, photography, and much, much more.
Holy stars & garters, there is absolutely no better feeling than when you're researching something built from gut instinct, and come across a primary source in the subject's own words that proves repeatedly you were 100% on the right track.
I could cry with joy.
I could cry with joy.
February 11, 2026 at 4:55 AM
Holy stars & garters, there is absolutely no better feeling than when you're researching something built from gut instinct, and come across a primary source in the subject's own words that proves repeatedly you were 100% on the right track.
I could cry with joy.
I could cry with joy.
Last night I finished "The Everlasting" by @alixeharrow.bsky.social , & I'm so scattered that I might rate a book on GoodReads if I really liked it, but I never end up writing even a short review. However, it was the single best fiction book to read in my downtime whilst trying to write my thesis...
February 11, 2026 at 3:28 AM
Last night I finished "The Everlasting" by @alixeharrow.bsky.social , & I'm so scattered that I might rate a book on GoodReads if I really liked it, but I never end up writing even a short review. However, it was the single best fiction book to read in my downtime whilst trying to write my thesis...
It's 11pm & I'm on the floor of my mother's bathroom, after a few drinks in a Nashville themed bar, trying to explain antibiotic resistance to my cat as I feed her Churu bites in an attempt to convince her to finish her course of antibiotics & not just eat around them as she's been doing.
February 10, 2026 at 12:09 PM
It's 11pm & I'm on the floor of my mother's bathroom, after a few drinks in a Nashville themed bar, trying to explain antibiotic resistance to my cat as I feed her Churu bites in an attempt to convince her to finish her course of antibiotics & not just eat around them as she's been doing.
And sometimes, if you're lucky, you can find the info in an index... But there are rarely indices.
One of the things that drives me nuts about historical newspaper articles is how rarely they credit an author. It's not just a matter of making citations hard, it's that I don't know whose agenda is being promoted.
Even when an article ends in a request for funds with thanks, it doesn't say whose.
Even when an article ends in a request for funds with thanks, it doesn't say whose.
February 10, 2026 at 12:58 AM
And sometimes, if you're lucky, you can find the info in an index... But there are rarely indices.
One of the things that drives me nuts about historical newspaper articles is how rarely they credit an author. It's not just a matter of making citations hard, it's that I don't know whose agenda is being promoted.
Even when an article ends in a request for funds with thanks, it doesn't say whose.
Even when an article ends in a request for funds with thanks, it doesn't say whose.
February 10, 2026 at 12:52 AM
One of the things that drives me nuts about historical newspaper articles is how rarely they credit an author. It's not just a matter of making citations hard, it's that I don't know whose agenda is being promoted.
Even when an article ends in a request for funds with thanks, it doesn't say whose.
Even when an article ends in a request for funds with thanks, it doesn't say whose.
I'm going to quote myself to bring this post to the attention of those who weren't awake when I posted it, because I sure could use some good* plant-related puns ideas.
I'm mainly focusing on using them in chapter headings but if they're good I'll work them into the body of the text too.
I'm mainly focusing on using them in chapter headings but if they're good I'll work them into the body of the text too.
Exactly how terrible would it be for me to include puns in the section titles of my thesis? Not, like, really terrible ones, but it's botany-related, so maybe plant-related puns. Only if I can think of decent ones, that is.
February 7, 2026 at 10:43 PM
I'm going to quote myself to bring this post to the attention of those who weren't awake when I posted it, because I sure could use some good* plant-related puns ideas.
I'm mainly focusing on using them in chapter headings but if they're good I'll work them into the body of the text too.
I'm mainly focusing on using them in chapter headings but if they're good I'll work them into the body of the text too.
Exactly how terrible would it be for me to include puns in the section titles of my thesis? Not, like, really terrible ones, but it's botany-related, so maybe plant-related puns. Only if I can think of decent ones, that is.
February 7, 2026 at 10:05 AM
Exactly how terrible would it be for me to include puns in the section titles of my thesis? Not, like, really terrible ones, but it's botany-related, so maybe plant-related puns. Only if I can think of decent ones, that is.
You know, I was so diligent this time, esp. w/ADHD. I was using my referencing software to ref whilst I wrote to make sure I didn't miss anything. So imagine how thrilled I was to discover after about 4k+ words that in multiple source refs it just wasn't including page numbers from source 2 onwards?
February 5, 2026 at 9:44 PM
You know, I was so diligent this time, esp. w/ADHD. I was using my referencing software to ref whilst I wrote to make sure I didn't miss anything. So imagine how thrilled I was to discover after about 4k+ words that in multiple source refs it just wasn't including page numbers from source 2 onwards?
Last night I dreamt that I was trying to make cookies from a recipe by A. G. Hamilton* but when I went to reprint the recipe for someone the page numbers wouldn't stay in sequence.
* Fascinating fellow, but a naturalist, not known for his cookies as far as I'm aware. Amazing 1892 article.
* Fascinating fellow, but a naturalist, not known for his cookies as far as I'm aware. Amazing 1892 article.
February 5, 2026 at 9:13 PM
Last night I dreamt that I was trying to make cookies from a recipe by A. G. Hamilton* but when I went to reprint the recipe for someone the page numbers wouldn't stay in sequence.
* Fascinating fellow, but a naturalist, not known for his cookies as far as I'm aware. Amazing 1892 article.
* Fascinating fellow, but a naturalist, not known for his cookies as far as I'm aware. Amazing 1892 article.
I love our vets because they will call us mid-surgery to say "We can foresee complications & we don't think we're the best people to do this, we suggest you send her here," even if it means they're out the full payment expected, because it wouldn't be the best outcome for the patient.
Suki is having surgery today to remove at least 4 teeth, & when I went to put her in the carrier, she tried to run, & I accidentally smacked her in the head when trying to block her escape.
I feel like such a heel now.
I feel like such a heel now.
February 5, 2026 at 3:43 AM
I love our vets because they will call us mid-surgery to say "We can foresee complications & we don't think we're the best people to do this, we suggest you send her here," even if it means they're out the full payment expected, because it wouldn't be the best outcome for the patient.
The fact that our dishwasher has spontaneously stopped working has upset me more than is rational.
I think it's partly because I don't have the time to try to fix it right now, I need to finish my overdue thesis, but the fact that needs attention is constantly gnawing at the back of my ADHD brain.
I think it's partly because I don't have the time to try to fix it right now, I need to finish my overdue thesis, but the fact that needs attention is constantly gnawing at the back of my ADHD brain.
February 4, 2026 at 10:21 PM
The fact that our dishwasher has spontaneously stopped working has upset me more than is rational.
I think it's partly because I don't have the time to try to fix it right now, I need to finish my overdue thesis, but the fact that needs attention is constantly gnawing at the back of my ADHD brain.
I think it's partly because I don't have the time to try to fix it right now, I need to finish my overdue thesis, but the fact that needs attention is constantly gnawing at the back of my ADHD brain.
*faint but persistent sounds of a tannoy, drowning out birdsong*
"That's weird."
*evacuation alarm starts whooping in the distance*
"Oh, the high school must be doing a fire drill, that's new." (for me, a first since we moved here)
*sirens approaching, getting louder*
"Uh oh, oh dear."
"That's weird."
*evacuation alarm starts whooping in the distance*
"Oh, the high school must be doing a fire drill, that's new." (for me, a first since we moved here)
*sirens approaching, getting louder*
"Uh oh, oh dear."
February 4, 2026 at 10:15 PM
*faint but persistent sounds of a tannoy, drowning out birdsong*
"That's weird."
*evacuation alarm starts whooping in the distance*
"Oh, the high school must be doing a fire drill, that's new." (for me, a first since we moved here)
*sirens approaching, getting louder*
"Uh oh, oh dear."
"That's weird."
*evacuation alarm starts whooping in the distance*
"Oh, the high school must be doing a fire drill, that's new." (for me, a first since we moved here)
*sirens approaching, getting louder*
"Uh oh, oh dear."
Suki is having surgery today to remove at least 4 teeth, & when I went to put her in the carrier, she tried to run, & I accidentally smacked her in the head when trying to block her escape.
I feel like such a heel now.
I feel like such a heel now.
February 4, 2026 at 9:04 PM
Suki is having surgery today to remove at least 4 teeth, & when I went to put her in the carrier, she tried to run, & I accidentally smacked her in the head when trying to block her escape.
I feel like such a heel now.
I feel like such a heel now.
I'm still slogging away at my thesis, finding it so unbelievably hard to write, then it occurs to me: w/ 1 thing & another, I've not written anything academically since 2024. Everything went to shit even more than previously after that, & writing was the last thing on my mind. No wonder it's hard.
February 4, 2026 at 9:37 AM
I'm still slogging away at my thesis, finding it so unbelievably hard to write, then it occurs to me: w/ 1 thing & another, I've not written anything academically since 2024. Everything went to shit even more than previously after that, & writing was the last thing on my mind. No wonder it's hard.
Today, I feel like butter scraped over too much bread.
February 3, 2026 at 10:17 PM
Today, I feel like butter scraped over too much bread.
I'm caffeine-sensitive. I can't drink it after 3pm, or I won't sleep. So of course I drank it at 4:45pm, then 6pm, intending to stay up & work on my thesis... But then hit a wall, & got stuck, so I went to bed at 11pm... & couldn't sleep. Until 1:15am. Then I awoke at 2:45am & couldn't sleep again.
February 2, 2026 at 10:31 PM
I'm caffeine-sensitive. I can't drink it after 3pm, or I won't sleep. So of course I drank it at 4:45pm, then 6pm, intending to stay up & work on my thesis... But then hit a wall, & got stuck, so I went to bed at 11pm... & couldn't sleep. Until 1:15am. Then I awoke at 2:45am & couldn't sleep again.
Because I'm a pedant, I double-checked my use of "that" vs "which", & came across its Merriam-Webster grammar page.
www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/when...
On said page was the following delightful paragraph (which I'll have to put in two [!] separate posts, but it's worth it.):
(1/3)
www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/when...
On said page was the following delightful paragraph (which I'll have to put in two [!] separate posts, but it's worth it.):
(1/3)
'That' vs. 'Which'
Which one should you choose?
www.merriam-webster.com
February 1, 2026 at 10:40 PM
Because I'm a pedant, I double-checked my use of "that" vs "which", & came across its Merriam-Webster grammar page.
www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/when...
On said page was the following delightful paragraph (which I'll have to put in two [!] separate posts, but it's worth it.):
(1/3)
www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/when...
On said page was the following delightful paragraph (which I'll have to put in two [!] separate posts, but it's worth it.):
(1/3)
I'm not going to put my jobs here, but classes? Sure.
Five classes that I've taken & which stuck with me (in no particular order):
1. The Politics of Terrorism
2. Environmental History
3. Personal Finance
4. Crime & Punishment in Historical Context
5. Indigenous Histories & The Colonial World
Five classes that I've taken & which stuck with me (in no particular order):
1. The Politics of Terrorism
2. Environmental History
3. Personal Finance
4. Crime & Punishment in Historical Context
5. Indigenous Histories & The Colonial World
Tell me about your jobs too, but what are five classes you took in college/high school that stuck with you*
1. War, Military Institutions & Society
2. Aviation (Private/Instrument)
3. Political Theory
4. Differential Equations
5. Behavioral Economics
(my collegiate experience was…eclectic)
1. War, Military Institutions & Society
2. Aviation (Private/Instrument)
3. Political Theory
4. Differential Equations
5. Behavioral Economics
(my collegiate experience was…eclectic)
Never mind the jobs you had, tell me five classes you took in college:
1. Marine Biology (we got to go out on a boat!)
2. The History of the Holocaust
3. Logic and Critical Thinking
4. Eastern Religions
5. The French Revolution
1. Marine Biology (we got to go out on a boat!)
2. The History of the Holocaust
3. Logic and Critical Thinking
4. Eastern Religions
5. The French Revolution
February 1, 2026 at 10:33 PM
I'm not going to put my jobs here, but classes? Sure.
Five classes that I've taken & which stuck with me (in no particular order):
1. The Politics of Terrorism
2. Environmental History
3. Personal Finance
4. Crime & Punishment in Historical Context
5. Indigenous Histories & The Colonial World
Five classes that I've taken & which stuck with me (in no particular order):
1. The Politics of Terrorism
2. Environmental History
3. Personal Finance
4. Crime & Punishment in Historical Context
5. Indigenous Histories & The Colonial World
What's something that's really inconsequential but that you find really infuriating?
For me, it's that Wordle doesn't accept Latin.
I mean the word, "Latin".
Adjective, noun, proper noun, whatever - it says it's not in the word list.
I really can't wrap my head around it.
For me, it's that Wordle doesn't accept Latin.
I mean the word, "Latin".
Adjective, noun, proper noun, whatever - it says it's not in the word list.
I really can't wrap my head around it.
February 1, 2026 at 10:18 PM
What's something that's really inconsequential but that you find really infuriating?
For me, it's that Wordle doesn't accept Latin.
I mean the word, "Latin".
Adjective, noun, proper noun, whatever - it says it's not in the word list.
I really can't wrap my head around it.
For me, it's that Wordle doesn't accept Latin.
I mean the word, "Latin".
Adjective, noun, proper noun, whatever - it says it's not in the word list.
I really can't wrap my head around it.
I mean, I have to concede that a big portion of that problem stems from the 370 tabs I have open in Chrome, not counting whatever is open in Firefox, Zotero, a PDF reader, or Word. I just... Look, I'm researching an incredibly prolific writer, one who wrote on many topics, & I have ADHD, okay?
Few things get my blood pressure up quite like my computer just grinding to a halt
So of course it's doing it when I'm trying to work on my thesis
Which is due tonight
But is nowhere near finished
Argh
So of course it's doing it when I'm trying to work on my thesis
Which is due tonight
But is nowhere near finished
Argh
January 31, 2026 at 11:02 PM
I mean, I have to concede that a big portion of that problem stems from the 370 tabs I have open in Chrome, not counting whatever is open in Firefox, Zotero, a PDF reader, or Word. I just... Look, I'm researching an incredibly prolific writer, one who wrote on many topics, & I have ADHD, okay?
Few things get my blood pressure up quite like my computer just grinding to a halt
So of course it's doing it when I'm trying to work on my thesis
Which is due tonight
But is nowhere near finished
Argh
So of course it's doing it when I'm trying to work on my thesis
Which is due tonight
But is nowhere near finished
Argh
January 31, 2026 at 10:17 AM
Few things get my blood pressure up quite like my computer just grinding to a halt
So of course it's doing it when I'm trying to work on my thesis
Which is due tonight
But is nowhere near finished
Argh
So of course it's doing it when I'm trying to work on my thesis
Which is due tonight
But is nowhere near finished
Argh
I really need to upgrade my desktop PC because I have way too many research tabs open, plus research articles & books in PDF form stored, plus instances of MS Word open whilst I work, & frankly I need all of these & for my computer to not grind to a halt constantly.
January 31, 2026 at 12:35 AM
I really need to upgrade my desktop PC because I have way too many research tabs open, plus research articles & books in PDF form stored, plus instances of MS Word open whilst I work, & frankly I need all of these & for my computer to not grind to a halt constantly.
I left open lots of articles to which I wanted to return this morning, only to discover that my PC decided to reboot itself overnight. I have autosave enabled, of course, but, as someone w/ADHD, trying to regather all the thoughts I had late last night & had set up for today is beyond frustrating.
January 27, 2026 at 1:00 AM
I left open lots of articles to which I wanted to return this morning, only to discover that my PC decided to reboot itself overnight. I have autosave enabled, of course, but, as someone w/ADHD, trying to regather all the thoughts I had late last night & had set up for today is beyond frustrating.
My cue to go to sleep is often when my mental narrative voice for trying to write this thesis takes on the tone of Ghost Hunters or Ancient Aliens or something. That's when I know I'm beyond cooked & need to call it.
January 26, 2026 at 11:11 AM
My cue to go to sleep is often when my mental narrative voice for trying to write this thesis takes on the tone of Ghost Hunters or Ancient Aliens or something. That's when I know I'm beyond cooked & need to call it.
When you're an introvert with RSD, networking is not just impossible, it's unthinkable.
I met an architect at the Nick Cave concert on Saturday night & had a long & interesting conversation w/ him & his wife about heritage conservation in Sydney & Maitland. I recounted this to my mum & she asked...
I met an architect at the Nick Cave concert on Saturday night & had a long & interesting conversation w/ him & his wife about heritage conservation in Sydney & Maitland. I recounted this to my mum & she asked...
January 25, 2026 at 11:21 PM
When you're an introvert with RSD, networking is not just impossible, it's unthinkable.
I met an architect at the Nick Cave concert on Saturday night & had a long & interesting conversation w/ him & his wife about heritage conservation in Sydney & Maitland. I recounted this to my mum & she asked...
I met an architect at the Nick Cave concert on Saturday night & had a long & interesting conversation w/ him & his wife about heritage conservation in Sydney & Maitland. I recounted this to my mum & she asked...