Ruth Dawkins
@dorkymum.bsky.social
Freelance writer & blogger • Science, environment, travel, books, family, islands • Green, socialist, feminist • Trans rights are human rights • Free Palestine • She/her • Lutruwita/Tasmania via Scotland • #MDANT • dorkymum.com • ruthdawkins.net
Pinned
Ruth Dawkins
@dorkymum.bsky.social
· Aug 8
Seems like there has been a big influx of new folk here from Twitter/X this week, so maybe time for a quick reintroduction 👋🏻
I’m an immigrant in lutruwita/Tasmania, originally from Scotland. A mum, wife, writer, introvert.
I’m an immigrant in lutruwita/Tasmania, originally from Scotland. A mum, wife, writer, introvert.
I can’t tell you how much I don’t want to go home from this holiday and re-enter the real world 😭
January 31, 2026 at 9:25 PM
I can’t tell you how much I don’t want to go home from this holiday and re-enter the real world 😭
Yuuuup 😭😵💫🙃
“We have seen asthma, allergic rhinitis, hives/urticaria, environmental and food allergies, with the most common being asthma. But then there is also a good subset of patients developing mast cell activation symptoms,” -me
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
Long COVID Linked to New-Onset Allergies
Mounting evidence points to a link between new-onset allergies and Long COVID, with mast cell activation syndrome as a potential culprit.
www.medscape.com
January 29, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Yuuuup 😭😵💫🙃
Reposted by Ruth Dawkins
What cities around the world have really interesting, dynamic intellectual “scenes”? Want to tell the story/paint a portrait of such a “scene” — especially in the Global South — for @newlinesmag.bsky.social’s Global Thought series? Pitch me: dpostel@newlinesmag.com
newlinesmag.com/topic/global...
newlinesmag.com/topic/global...
Global Thought Archives
newlinesmag.com
January 23, 2026 at 4:34 PM
What cities around the world have really interesting, dynamic intellectual “scenes”? Want to tell the story/paint a portrait of such a “scene” — especially in the Global South — for @newlinesmag.bsky.social’s Global Thought series? Pitch me: dpostel@newlinesmag.com
newlinesmag.com/topic/global...
newlinesmag.com/topic/global...
Reposted by Ruth Dawkins
My analysis for Foreign Policy on the Board of Peace (gift link)
Tl;dr it's a dangerous gift, putting it mildly
foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/27/t...
Tl;dr it's a dangerous gift, putting it mildly
foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/27/t...
Trump’s Board of Peace Will Help Strong Countries Dominate Weak Ones
In Gaza, it will legitimize Israeli land grabs and ethnic cleansing.
foreignpolicy.com
January 27, 2026 at 6:55 PM
My analysis for Foreign Policy on the Board of Peace (gift link)
Tl;dr it's a dangerous gift, putting it mildly
foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/27/t...
Tl;dr it's a dangerous gift, putting it mildly
foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/27/t...
Reposted by Ruth Dawkins
And he didn’t. He tried to help a woman who’d just been assaulted. There was nothing rash, stupid, or radical about what he did. He showed kindness. And they killed him for it.
January 24, 2026 at 10:36 PM
And he didn’t. He tried to help a woman who’d just been assaulted. There was nothing rash, stupid, or radical about what he did. He showed kindness. And they killed him for it.
Reposted by Ruth Dawkins
Secretary General of the Council of Europe says “International law is either universal or meaningless. Greenland will show which one we choose.” Yes, well. Did Gaza show which one we choose?
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/o...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/o...
Opinion | I’m the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. This Is Something I Thought I’d Never Have to Write.
www.nytimes.com
January 19, 2026 at 10:22 AM
Secretary General of the Council of Europe says “International law is either universal or meaningless. Greenland will show which one we choose.” Yes, well. Did Gaza show which one we choose?
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/o...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/o...
Reposted by Ruth Dawkins
January 16, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Reposted by Ruth Dawkins
When the racist meme becomes national policy
January 17, 2026 at 4:53 AM
When the racist meme becomes national policy
Reposted by Ruth Dawkins
Photo by Pierre Lavie. Yes this is me. And I threw my Leica. It landed on the bass plate with hardly a scratch. Another Photographer grabbed it along with my phone and I was able to track him later. I was held face down tear gas deployed right in front of me and pepper sprayed directly into the eye.
January 17, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Photo by Pierre Lavie. Yes this is me. And I threw my Leica. It landed on the bass plate with hardly a scratch. Another Photographer grabbed it along with my phone and I was able to track him later. I was held face down tear gas deployed right in front of me and pepper sprayed directly into the eye.
👀
January 17, 2026 at 8:16 PM
👀
Reposted by Ruth Dawkins
looking for any and all microhistory* recommendations for books on the period 1850-1950, any geography
*let’s say focused on a court case, or a non-elite protagonist, or a community etc. i know the term hasn’t always travelled that well outside of its origins in early modern european examples 🗃️
*let’s say focused on a court case, or a non-elite protagonist, or a community etc. i know the term hasn’t always travelled that well outside of its origins in early modern european examples 🗃️
January 16, 2026 at 7:19 AM
looking for any and all microhistory* recommendations for books on the period 1850-1950, any geography
*let’s say focused on a court case, or a non-elite protagonist, or a community etc. i know the term hasn’t always travelled that well outside of its origins in early modern european examples 🗃️
*let’s say focused on a court case, or a non-elite protagonist, or a community etc. i know the term hasn’t always travelled that well outside of its origins in early modern european examples 🗃️
Reposted by Ruth Dawkins
"“The Palestinian state is being erased from the table not with slogans but with actions,” is something you might expect a critic of the plan to say but no, this is the explicit point of this settlement, as expressed by none other than Bezalel Smotrich
Israel clears final hurdle to start settlement construction that would cut the West Bank in two
Israel has cleared the final hurdle before starting construction on a controversial settlement project near Jerusalem that would effectively cut the West Bank in two.
apnews.com
January 12, 2026 at 6:57 PM
"“The Palestinian state is being erased from the table not with slogans but with actions,” is something you might expect a critic of the plan to say but no, this is the explicit point of this settlement, as expressed by none other than Bezalel Smotrich
Reposted by Ruth Dawkins
Can anyone who has been on propranolol for migraines tell me if the absolutely ridiculous dreams settle down at some point or is that just part of the deal?
January 12, 2026 at 7:34 AM
Can anyone who has been on propranolol for migraines tell me if the absolutely ridiculous dreams settle down at some point or is that just part of the deal?
Reposted by Ruth Dawkins
Friendly reminder that we call eggplant eggplant because the "normal" eggplant used to look like this
January 12, 2026 at 5:42 AM
Friendly reminder that we call eggplant eggplant because the "normal" eggplant used to look like this
Reposted by Ruth Dawkins
Does anyone have any good recommendations for reading on climate change and the Winter Olympics?
January 12, 2026 at 12:02 AM
Does anyone have any good recommendations for reading on climate change and the Winter Olympics?
Clearly Adelaide Writers Week have learned absolutely naff all from the equivalent nonsense at Bendigo. Already seeing several writers withdraw as a result of the appalling decision about Randa.
January 8, 2026 at 5:18 AM
Clearly Adelaide Writers Week have learned absolutely naff all from the equivalent nonsense at Bendigo. Already seeing several writers withdraw as a result of the appalling decision about Randa.
Reposted by Ruth Dawkins
As a former Director of Adelaide Writers' Week I am appalled that the Adelaide Festival Board has rescinded Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah's invitation to the 2026 AWW, explicitly linking its decision to the shattering crimes in Bondi.
A shocking decision that will and should have far-reaching consequences.
A shocking decision that will and should have far-reaching consequences.
January 8, 2026 at 4:50 AM
As a former Director of Adelaide Writers' Week I am appalled that the Adelaide Festival Board has rescinded Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah's invitation to the 2026 AWW, explicitly linking its decision to the shattering crimes in Bondi.
A shocking decision that will and should have far-reaching consequences.
A shocking decision that will and should have far-reaching consequences.
Reposted by Ruth Dawkins
Hi #polisky - I am teaching a course this semester that involves student-directed research on issues of human rights, peace, and justice in Israel and Palestine. Are there any scholars here that might be willing to serve as experts, responding to a student-developed survey in March/April?
January 6, 2026 at 7:55 PM
Hi #polisky - I am teaching a course this semester that involves student-directed research on issues of human rights, peace, and justice in Israel and Palestine. Are there any scholars here that might be willing to serve as experts, responding to a student-developed survey in March/April?
We had a very good cloud day followed by a very good sunset.
January 7, 2026 at 10:09 AM
We had a very good cloud day followed by a very good sunset.
Reposted by Ruth Dawkins
Maisa used to be very active on here until the overzealous moderation policies saw her removed 🙄 Since she can’t ask for help directly, please consider sharing or donating if you can.
www.paypal.com/pools/c/9kLz...
www.paypal.com/pools/c/9kLz...
Support Raed & Maisa's Family
القصة
Hello my friends
I'm Ronya and I'm the host of Raed & Maisa's Family Fundraiser. Raed is my dear friend from Gaza. His family consists of Raed 38, Maisa 37, Fares 15, Adam 13, Lana 7.
They are...
www.paypal.com
January 5, 2026 at 6:57 AM
Maisa used to be very active on here until the overzealous moderation policies saw her removed 🙄 Since she can’t ask for help directly, please consider sharing or donating if you can.
www.paypal.com/pools/c/9kLz...
www.paypal.com/pools/c/9kLz...
🧵
For many years I lived in an apartment without aircon. My list of places I could go to escape the heat in metro Melbourne
January 5, 2026 at 8:20 AM
🧵
Maisa used to be very active on here until the overzealous moderation policies saw her removed 🙄 Since she can’t ask for help directly, please consider sharing or donating if you can.
www.paypal.com/pools/c/9kLz...
www.paypal.com/pools/c/9kLz...
Support Raed & Maisa's Family
القصة
Hello my friends
I'm Ronya and I'm the host of Raed & Maisa's Family Fundraiser. Raed is my dear friend from Gaza. His family consists of Raed 38, Maisa 37, Fares 15, Adam 13, Lana 7.
They are...
www.paypal.com
January 5, 2026 at 6:57 AM
Maisa used to be very active on here until the overzealous moderation policies saw her removed 🙄 Since she can’t ask for help directly, please consider sharing or donating if you can.
www.paypal.com/pools/c/9kLz...
www.paypal.com/pools/c/9kLz...
Reposted by Ruth Dawkins
Investing in renewable energy is an act of peace.
January 4, 2026 at 8:12 AM
Investing in renewable energy is an act of peace.