iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Does anybody know of any poems with an ABACBABC rhyme scheme? Iambic tetrameter, ideally.

Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Reading "Pearl" today, I rediscovered the splendid Middle English word that we simply must revive: wythnay -- "with" as in withstand or withhold, plus "nay" as in "no." "Say no to" or "refuse"

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Reposted by Tom

Marcel R. Bülles 📚💍🌋🎉 @thetolkienist.com · 30/09/2026

Another edition of the all things Tolkien newsletter, the Roving Ranger, has just been sent to its subscribers. Any shares are highly welcome! More on the memorial; a lovely family story; new day of the week for the RR; and tons more... steady.page/en/thetolkie...

steady.page

The Two-hundred and second Roving Ranger

The Roving Ranger #202 brings you all the interesting things Tolkienian of the last week and the weeks upcoming, curated by the Tolkienist.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

sounds like a fascinating project

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

So a room full of autocratic narcissists announce they've reached a "morally binding" agreement amongst themselves. We're saved!

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

From the Oxford University Press Catalog 1916 Oh, this breaks my heart. Does anybody have a TARDIS handy? I'll pick one up for you, @sentantiq.bsky.social

Image shows details of "The Oxford Homer," all 5 volumes in Greek printed on India Paper and bound in one volume. 1374 Pages. 1 inch thick.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Given this guy's history of not paying his bills, you better get that $5,000 up front.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

If my lawyer, having failed to win my acquittal, then showed that he did not know a) that the President has no power to pardon crimes that are under state jurisdiction, and b) that I have to be convicted before I can be pardoned, I would get a different lawyer. Just saying.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I have a several year old Dell Laptop, on windows 11. A while back the screen started flickering and now is mostly black and unreadable. If connected to an external monitor, the monitor display is fine. I've tried updating drivers etc. No joy. Does this sound like hardware?

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

40 % off right now on my book from @ksupress.bsky.social , which keeps bouncing back to #1 New Release in British and Irish Literary Criticism. Inconceivable.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Dammit, MORT! You missed!

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

If there is a heaven, I can point to one rich person who is there.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

I just finished watching "Peaky Blinders." I'm currently reading Sophocles' Ajax. (It's my bedtime reading.😶) I guess it was inevitable that when I ran into words χεῖρα φοινίαν I heard "red right hand." Granted the Greek says nothing about which hand, but "bloodstained/bloody/murderous hand" is it.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

A force for good has left the world, and who can blame her?

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

A person, an exceptionally nice person, I might add, read my book and sent me an email he declared to be fan mail. Fan mail. Go figure.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

So was that really Athena? I think that's probably the part I found most interesting about Nolan's interpretation.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

"They order, said I, this matter better in France." par exemple: pénisplication

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Nothing says courage, pride, and dignity like sneaking out of Air Force One in a food trolley.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

I just love unreal conditional statements in indirect discourse. There, I've said it.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

"Oh, you must make allowances," said North Wind, "or you will never do justice to anybody." *At the Back of the North Wind" -- George MacDonald

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Grateful and amazed to see the audiobook of "Pity, Power, and Tolkien's Ring: To Rule the Fate of Many," is still finding a niche on the niche list "New Releases of New Releases in British and Irish Literary Criticism"

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

an excellent book, a well-deserved award.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

MSWord is now failing to recognize some subordinate clauses as subordinate clauses. I began a sentence "Since x..." and Word insisted I need to separate it from the main clause by a semicolon rather than a comma. I will not comply. If this be hypotaxis, make the most of it!

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Hmm, I don't remember thinking twice when I saw Lupita Nyong'o play Viola in Twelfth Night at Shakespeare in the Park last summer. I don't think I am going to think twice when I see her playing Helen.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

My thanks to all those who've been asking, and downloading, my book.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

On my way home from the gym, I saw a woman with a child in a stroller up ahead of me. The child was playing with a handheld fan. I was pretty sweaty. The little girl saw me, smiled, and held the fan out to me with both hands. I smiled back and waved. I'll never forget her.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

I could get used to this.

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Reposted by Tom

Tea with Tolkien @teawithtolkien.com · 19/07/2026

If you missed the start of our The Lord of the Rings book club, you’re welcome to jump in now as we begin The Two Towers - the discussion opens for the first few chapters on July 27th! More info here: www.teawithtolkien.com/blog/2026/3/...

teawithtolkien.com

Join us for The Lord of the Rings Book Club 2026 — Tea with Tolkien

Our community will be journeying through The Lord of the Rings together this summer and autumn, and we’d love for you to join us! Reading and Discussion Schedule: June 1: "The Fellowship of the R...

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Well, the prefaces to Oxford Classical Texts are now in English rather than Latin. On the one hand, I guess that shows how long it's been since I've looked at a new one. On the other hand: fuimus Troes, fuit Ilium et ingens / gloria Teucrorum.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

I 1st learned the word "franchise" as a nickname for the NYM pitcher, Tom Seaver. Young, dominating, iconic with dirt on his uniform, in a much tougher. Seaver vs Gibson was like Achilles vs Hector, only nobody ran. "Franchise" has been going downhill ever since.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

So there I was confusticated and bebothered to learn that the word "atonement" does in fact come from "at onement." It had always seemed just another example of ridiculous pulpit etymologies (I first heard it from a youth minister.), like "woman" comes from "womb-man." Very disappointing.

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

The audio book of “Pity, Power, and Tolkien’s Ring: To Rule the Fate of Many” is now available. Currently, I see it only on Amazon. I realize that many would prefer another source. It should be available on the @ksupress.bsky.social site quite soon. No doubt other vendors will follow.

cover of audio book of "Pity, Power, and Tolkien's Ring: To Rule the Fate of Many"

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Filed under "Jokes by Tolkien Nobody Got:" Beren thrusting his hand with the Silmaril into Carcharoth's maw. "Do not give what is holy to dogs." Matthew 7:6

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Tom @alas-not-me.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Happy birthday, Mel Brooks. Only 1900 years to go. Thanks for all the laughs.

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