Nelle from Meanjin
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nelle.bsky.social
Nelle from Meanjin
@nelle.bsky.social
850 followers 1.9K following 1.4K posts
Pascals Wager: Covid edition.
If I'm wrong, I've mildly disadvantaged myself by wearing a mask in public.
If you're wrong, you have played a part in spreading disease, disability and death to millions, possibly including yourself and your loved ones.
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nelle.bsky.social
Does Putin have the photos?

I really don't care if Trump gave a bloke called Bubba a blowie. I don't care if Bubba is Clinton or a Texan dude.

The question with real, international significance is, DOES PUTIN HAVE THE PHOTOS.

#Bubbagate
An email stream between Jeffrey Epstein and his brother Mark. Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2018 10:43 AM To: Mark L. Epstein Subject: Re: hey you mean DONNI TEE On Wed, Mar 21, 2018 at 9:54 AM, Mark L. Epstein You and your boy Donnie can make a remake of the movie Get Hard. Sent via tin can and string. On Mar 21, 2018, at 09:37, jeffrey E. <jeevacation@gmail.com> wrote: and i thought- I had tsuris On Wed, Mar 21, 2018 at 4:32 AM, Mark L. Epstein Ask him if Putin has the photos of Trump blowing Bubba?
November 15, 2025 at 4:23 AM
nelle.bsky.social
Remember this story from last week? The Resolute Desk can be seen in the Oval Office in this photograph.

I don't normally defend Donald Trump, but I think it's important to keep to the truth in our allegations. Lord knows there's plenty of true things to complain about.
An image from a news story. A man has collapsed in the Oval Office during a press announcement. Several people are assisting or watching. Donald Trump watches from behind an ornate wooden desk.
November 12, 2025 at 11:33 PM
nelle.bsky.social
I was on the phone to the office at St Rita's, my local Catholic parish church, and they put me on hold, and their hold music was The Can Can. 🤣
It's more accurately known as Offenbach's Galop Infernal from Morpheus in the Underworld, which frankly is not much better.

I doubt that they know.
Painting by Georges Seurat, 1889-90, called Le Chahut. An orchestra is in the lower left, dancers in skimpy costumes are high-kicking, and an appreciative male audience member has a good view of the dancer's legs.
November 10, 2025 at 12:07 AM
nelle.bsky.social
Nicolae Ceaușescu's bathroom
A white and gold bathroom. Similar in theme to Trump's new bathroom, but with more gold.
November 1, 2025 at 3:24 AM
nelle.bsky.social
For no particular reason, I present Nicolae Ceaușescu's bathroom.
A marble and gold bathroom.
October 31, 2025 at 6:45 PM
nelle.bsky.social
Quiz time.
Is this room in Mar a Lago, The White House, or Ceaușescu House in Romania?

(It's OK. no need to answer. I'm just reminded of what happened to Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife)
A room decorated in white and gold
October 28, 2025 at 2:25 AM
nelle.bsky.social
Tropical Cyclone Alfred was more than 6 months ago, but the bluesky feed is still active. It's used by SEQ power outages and still useful.

I'm amused, anyway.
My Bluesky page, #TCAlfred is at the top of screen, power outage and restorations are listed as recently as 1 minute ago.
October 27, 2025 at 4:00 AM
nelle.bsky.social
I am Kevin Rudd.
Images from the "I am Spartacus" scene from the movie. The first panel shows Donald Trump's head superimposed onto a Roman ruler with the caption "Which one of you Aussies called me dumb as fuck" The next three panels show random people saying "I'm Kevin Rudd " The final panel is a crowd scene with the caption "I don't even like Kevin Rudd but I'm Kevin Rudd."
October 21, 2025 at 1:38 AM
nelle.bsky.social
734th in the queue. This library book is more popular than I expected.
A "hold" screen from my library app, showing current position 734 in the queue.
October 20, 2025 at 9:30 AM
nelle.bsky.social
On the other hand, who do extremely wealthy people meet? This skeet, found just above yours in my feed, seems relevant here.
Pikture of RFK junior, apparently in conversation with someone out of shot. Tweet from The Intellectualist @highbrow_nobrow X.com RFK Jr. explains why socializing with Jeffrey Epstein wasn't such a big deal for him: "...I ran into everybody in NY. I mean, I knew Harvey Weinstein, I knew Roger Ailes, I knew O.J. Simpson came to my house. Bill Cosby came to my house." 0:10
October 20, 2025 at 2:45 AM
nelle.bsky.social
I did like this, but fact checkers have found it is fake.

Please don't create or share fake stuff. The true stuff is hard enough to believe, without having to fact check the fake stuff too.

www.yahoo.com/news/article...
A tweet allegedly by vice president JD Vance saying the banter in the Oval Office is worse. It's marked as fake.
October 18, 2025 at 4:01 AM
nelle.bsky.social
So, Australians have reduced their desire to travel to the USA.

We all know why.

www.theguardian.com/business/gro...
Screenshot from article showing a graph "annual growth of Australians travelling to destinations for short-term visits" A bar chart August US down 10% is the only region displayed in orange. All other regions are displayed in blue Indonesia up 2% Thailand up 4% S E Europe up 5% Total up 6% displayed in grey. N W Europe up 6% N Z up 7% U K up 7% Japan up 8% India up 8% China up 12%
October 15, 2025 at 7:37 PM
nelle.bsky.social
Too early to get requested from my local library, but I searched her name and found "where we swim." It looks good. Hold placed. Thanks for recommending a new to me antipodean author

Bluesky is why I have 900+ books on my Storygraph wishlist.
Library hold page Catalogue Item Where we swim: explorations of nature, travel and family by Horrocks, Ingrid, (Hold data deleted) Ingrid Horrocks had few aspirations to swimming mastery, but she had always loved being in the water. She set out on a solo swimming journey, then abandoned it for a different kind of immersion altogether - one which led her to more deeply examine relationships, our ecological crisis, and ISBN 9780702263408 Published Date 2021.
October 9, 2025 at 7:22 AM
nelle.bsky.social
The retention rates escalated during the 1980s, and peaked in the mid 1990s. I haven't found a state by state comparison, but it was higher in the cities, and Queensland being so decentralised had a higher proportion of regional early school leavers.

YTA predates YA.
Research gate graph, showing apparent school retention rates 1970- 2000, starting at 20% of females, 30% of males in 1970, increases escalating from about 40% in 1985 to near 80% between 1990 and 1995.
October 3, 2025 at 10:41 AM
nelle.bsky.social
My hope is that enough Generals will say "I swore an oath to the Constitution, sir, and will not break it."
In 1935 German generals were called to a surprise assembly in Berlin and informed that their previous oath to the Weimar constitution was void and that they would be required to swear a personal oath to the Führer. Most generals took the new oath to keep their positions.
September 30, 2025 at 12:25 AM
nelle.bsky.social
This story reminded me of body retrievals at a local waterfall. They know exactly where the body is. The police diver needs strong ropes, attached to him from both sides of the stream, and pulled up using winches exactly 5 minutes later because he can't signal.
The sign needs to be more explicit.
A warning sign. DANGER no swimming allowed.
September 17, 2025 at 11:46 PM
nelle.bsky.social
Gramps side yard. This set-up is perfect for 99% of Brisbane weather.
(Not my photo, so I've de-identified the person.)
The person sits at a bench table, on bench seat, with a coffee. Theres a similar table in the background. The tables are under a large shade umbrella. There are patches of bright sunlight. There's bamboo planted against the fence.
September 4, 2025 at 11:27 PM
nelle.bsky.social
I really did think she thought these guys were digging up her garden.
Cartoon bandit, with black hat, eyes masked, cowboy boots, and a six-shooter on his hip.
August 28, 2025 at 4:22 AM
nelle.bsky.social
I've achieved a one thousand day streak on 64ordle. Now I can get a new phone.
A word game. Statistics show 1,085 games played, 100% wins, 1,000 current status, 1,000 max streak. (Wins changed from 99% to 100% when 99.5% was rounded up)
August 24, 2025 at 8:47 PM
nelle.bsky.social
Well, that's weird, because world maps in Australia are centred on the Pacific Ocean.
World map, split in the Atlantic, starting with Europe and Africa on the left, Asia and Australia and New Zealand in the mid left, Pacific Ocean in the centre, and the Americas on the right - and extending to duplicate the west coast of Europe and Africa.
August 17, 2025 at 3:23 AM
nelle.bsky.social
Straight from the can.
Preferably after being stored in the fridge.
A can of sliced beets.
August 11, 2025 at 5:39 PM
nelle.bsky.social
The USA does not recognize the International Criminal Court.
Putin can also go to most of Asia, and parts of Africa, but very few other countries, and no other Western country.
Map of the world showing member states of the international Criminal Court. Canada, Mexico, and all of South America is green, along with most of Europe, Mongolia, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Africa. The United States, Russia, and a small area of Africa are in orange, signifying that they signed but then withdrew their signature. Large areas of Asia and parts of Africa are red, signifying that they have never signed up to the International Criminal Court.
August 10, 2025 at 12:36 AM
nelle.bsky.social
Donald Trump on the roof of the White House, emulating Nebuchadnezzar. The dream is fulfilled.

See Alt Text for details.
Daniel 4:28-37 New International Version The Dream Is Fulfilled All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.” Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird
August 6, 2025 at 3:23 AM
nelle.bsky.social
Hey, who's been watching me cook?

Joking, I've never owned sherry vinegar.

Extract from Evie Wyld, The Echoes.

A story of generational trauma.
Recommended
#auslit
She cooks a chilli, but she doesn't have half the ingredients so really she cooks mince and onions - she should have made a Bolognese, with the ingredients that she does have in the house, but she has run out of pasta of any shape. She tastes the chilli and frowns. She squeezes in a glob of tomato purée - for the colour, I assume, because it sure as fuck isn't for the taste. The whole thing still looks grey, then she adds a shit ton of salt and looks at the dried herbs. The cumin she uses is four years out of date so is just dust. She finds the cardamom and puts in six pods, like she's making a curry. She holds some sherry vinegar for a while in her hand, then pours in a glug. She grimaces at the smell of the steam it makes. She puts a lid on and starts to pick up towels and socks from around the flat. As she does so, she sings. hor sing. Not once. I sang plenty. Her voice is
August 1, 2025 at 9:08 AM
nelle.bsky.social
Reposted with alt text.
It would be a shame if the protesters began making their signs out of quarter-inch-thick plywood to stop rubber bullets, forming a tight shield wall to prevent police from singling out and mobbing individual protesters. It would be a shame if the people behind the shield wall held up umbrellas so that tear gas canisters fired over their heads on the front line will be bounced away. It would be a shame if protesters began constructing improvised armor vests out of duct tape, hard-backed books, and ceramic tiles. It would be a shame if protesters started wearing safety glasses, hard hats, respirators, and gardening gloves, all of which can be found at the same hardware stores as the plywood. It would be a shame if they started using traffic cones (the kind without the hole in the top), upside down buckets, or other improvised lids to contain teargas by placing them over the canisters. It would be a shame if protesters learned that police scanners are legal to own in the US, allowing them to learn where police are moving, and what routes they intend to take. It would be a shame if they discovered that these scanners can be used to send as well as receive, allowing them to flood the scanner frequencies with noise. All of this would be a terrible, terrible shame. *It would be an awful shame if you copied and pasted this, so that they couldn't delete the original and all linked posts (again). **An even worse shame would be to start donating these items to protesters.
July 13, 2025 at 2:18 AM