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Darren S. Layne

@funkyplaid.bsky.social
3.4K followers 1.6K following 616 posts

Historian of 18th-century Scotland focused on Jacobite Studies and Digital History. Curator of JDB1745. Chair, Jacobite Studies Trust. PhD via University of St Andrews. In love with a swan and two cats. Currently watching the leaves in Portland, OR.

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Reposted by Darren S. Layne
derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Tweed is such a beautiful fabric to wear this time of year because it produces, in Dolly Parton's phrasing, a coat of many colors. Even a solid-colored brown is not just brown, but bits of red, blue, and yellow to produce something that looks lifted off the Scottish landscape.
There are two photos taped together. The top shows a brown stone building with a brown thatched roof. It's surrounded by green grass, stone walkways, and blue-gray sea. Below is a checked brown tweed that reflects the colors in the landscape above it. There are two photos taped together. The one at te top shows a rocky hillside with green and straw-colored grass, gray rocks, and a tan sandy beach below. The blue waters are crashing at the shore. Below is a green herringbone tweed that reflects the colors in the landscape above it. There are two photos taped together. The top shows a field of green and straw colored fields with bits of purple flowers. Below is a a series of checked brown tweed that reflect the colors in the landscape above it. A swatch book of solid-colored tweeds. The green tweed has visible flecks of red, gold, and blue.
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Thiago Krause @thiagokrause.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Call for proposals for a workshop, my people! Slavery and transimperial trade next March at William & Mary. Please spread it far and wide: I want to read your many great proposals!
atlanticexchanges.wm.edu
2027 Workshop Call for Proposals - Atlantic Exchanges Workshop
Atlantic Exchanges 2027 Slavery and the Commercial Machinery of Empires The Atlantic Exchanges Workshop invites proposals for its second edition, […]
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Scottish Historical Review @scottishhistreview.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Registration is required: In-person: lnkd.in/dZQGpT9c Online: lnkd.in/deCyrYnm
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Gwen C. Katz @gwenckatz.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Fuck ChatGPT flyers. The future is broadsheets.
A crowded broadsheet with way too many fonts. It says:
Forget ChatGPT Flyers
Say it with 
Broadsheets
Unlimited fonts
Stretch them
Or cram a really long sentence into one line for no good reason
No whitespace
Mix capital and lowercase
Pointing hands
(They're called manicules!)
Don't be left behind
Broadsheets are the future
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Mr. Joshua @pantspants.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Pen, watercolor, black & white charcoal pencil.

Another featured piece from the Spooky Pants book.

A man in a sweater stands with his hands on his hips looking out of a large window with the curtains open. Things aren’t looking good outside, reader. A massive winged demon is emerging from the clouds as dozens of little ghosts and bone demons rip through the sky. On the ground below we see townsfolk running through the grass. Our man in the window is in no mood for this. He lets us know, “Oh, I am in no mood for this.” His dog looks out the window as well, wagging its tail. 

Fantasia (1940) inspired drawing. I think I could’ve gone a little heavier with the chaos outside but we’ll try again with fresh drawings this October. I like how the clouds turned out. Trying to balance my sloppy lines with more detail can be tricky but I think we achieved a good result.
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Getty @gettymuseum.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Our medieval art curator rates every scroll emoji. 📜
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Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I am delighted to be on several “unhinged about AI” lists because of my firm believe that human beings should not participate in our own deskilling and replacement for the further enrichment of tech billionaires. Yes, please block me. Cleanse my timeline of your creepy pick-me energy.
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Ryan Teague Beckwith @ryanbeckwith.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
a bumper sticker that said "KENNEDY CENTER NOT DATA CENTERS" would do numbers right now
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Darren S. Layne @funkyplaid.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I’m heartbroken that future generations won’t get to have the same opportunities as the ones in which I was fortunate enough to participate.
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History at Queen's University Belfast @qubhistory.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
CFP: Economic and Social History Society of Ireland - Annual Conference 2026 (4-5 Dec. at TCD). Paper proposals should be sent to Dr Anne Dolan adolan@tcd.ie by 23 October.
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David Veevers @davidveevers.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Few things have more power than an academic using an exclamation mark. You know that shit doesn't happen lightly. When the exclamation mark appears in academic writing, you better sit up and pay attention.
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Daniel van Strien @danielvanstrien.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Need a historical illustration? Search 1.49 million images from British Library books and Britannica (1500s–1920s). Find similar images, download full-resolution images or transparent PNG cutouts, and explore the sources. huggingface.co/spaces/davan...
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Matthew L Reznicek @drreznicek.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Maybe letting the absolute worst people in the world build a super computing infrastructure with the capacity to ruin the economy, rewire our brains, and threaten our existence was not the best idea in the world.
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tunes to make you run away @whippoorwont.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
"people are anthropomorphizing LLMs because they are so astonishingly good at processing human thought and language" people will anthropomorphize a chair if you put the stitches in the right place.
chair with a "face"
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Darren S. Layne @funkyplaid.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Incredible find by @juliettedesportes.bsky.social in the Seafield Papers at @natrecordsscot.bsky.social. A gem of 18th-century Gàidhlig for the Landscapes of Protest project at @uhihistory.bsky.social. Eager to see what else comes out of it. landscapesofprotest.co.uk/eighteenth-c...
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Miaganga @miaganga.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
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Joseph Rezek @rezekjoe.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
The forces assembling against the things we care about and the people we love seem strong and insurmountable but I believe they are not; I believe we are stronger.
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Women's History Scotland @womenshistscot.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
📢 We are delighted to announce that the speaker for our annual Sue Innes Memorial Lecture is historian of Scottish emigration, Professor Marjory Harper! 📅 Saturday 24 October 🕑 2.00–3.30pm 📍 AK Bell Library, Perth 🎟️ Reserve your place via Ticket Tailor: www.tickettailor.com/events/women...
tickettailor.com
Select tickets – Women's History Scotland Sue Innes Memorial Lecture with Marjory Harper – Soutar Theatre, AK Bell Library, York Place, Perth
Women's History Scotland Sue Innes Memorial Lecture with Marjory Harper – Soutar Theatre, AK Bell Library, York Place, Perth, Sat 24 Oct 2026 - Join Women's History Scotland for our annual Sue Innes M...
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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Life seems to be happening *around* people at this current historical moment. This means that commentary is the main form of action for the vast majority. And it turns out that commentary keeps folks anxious and unfulfilled. People don't have a clear sense of what they can actually DO.
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Darren S. Layne @funkyplaid.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
We drove out to the Gorge for our local CSA's farm-to-table dinner and got to meet some local farmers and ranchers. Fantastic scenery and so much fecundity. And we listened carefully to what our hosts were telling us about the challenges they're facing from the federal government.
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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
can someone rename gas to $2/ gallon
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Ryan Boyd @ryanboyd.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Hey babe wanna come over and frown at screens together
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Save the date: The British History in the Long 18th Century Seminar returns on 7 October, with Miles Ogborn (QMUL) speaking on 'Law, Violence and Empire: Understanding the Jamaican Uprising Trials of 1832'. We're in person at the IHR and online on Zoom. Free registration opens soon. #Skystorians
history.ac.uk
British History in the Long 18th Century
Supported by Mark Storey and Carey Karmel, in memory of Arthur Burns
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Rachel Maddow @maddow.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
At "Rally for Democracy" protest in Mount Kisco New York, Aug 22 2026:
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Darren S. Layne @funkyplaid.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
BRING IT
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Sonja Drimmer @sonjadrimmer.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
This is what I’m talking about! Our institutions should be doing the work for us and not leaving us to jury rig together the collapsing infrastructure around us. More of this. chicagomaroon.com/53262/news/s...
chicagomaroon.com
Sosc Core to Institute AI Ban, Technology-Free Classrooms This Fall
All social science Core classes will transition to an “analog” approach for the upcoming academic year, restricting in-classroom technology use and banning AI-assisted writing and grading for students...
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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
These posters just went up all over every courthouse in New York State, and, man, what an excellent policy.
Complete ban on smart glasses
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Jerry Chen @jcsalterego.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
"spreadsheet people"—please. they're called cellcels. put some respect on their name
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Erika Gaffney @erikagaffney.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
New series announcement! Early Modern Maritime Humanities 1400-1800: Oceans in History & Culture Series Editors: @clairejowitt.bsky.social & John McAleer Publisher: @dgb-mem.bsky.social brill.com/page/forthco... Feel free to DM me with questions, or email me at Erika.Gaffney@degruyterbrill.com
A series announcement designed to look like the front cover of a book. The featured image is a painting in which two storm-tossed ships appear (a small one at left, a larger one at right).
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Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Obviously people don't feel inclined to debate their existence. Obviously no-one should have to debate their existence. Obviously no-one should have to reply to comments or engage in a debate if they don't want to. That isn't an echochamber, it is people being bored of others tedious bs. 4/4
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Darren S. Layne @funkyplaid.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
The gulf between then and now is just mind-blowing.
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Alice Marples @alicemarples.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Genuinely chuffed to discover my book is being stocked by Waterstones and Foyles! Preorder now - only £43 and released 8th December: www.waterstones.com/book/the-tra... or www.foyles.co.uk/book/the-tra...
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Dr Vanessa @hpsvanessa.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Chasing goose meme with the text “who structured the data”. It is a reference to a silly post by an academic asserting that with “properly structured historical data” genAI can “do history”
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Darren S. Layne @funkyplaid.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Lolololol
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Louis Peitzman @louispeitzman.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
We need to be saying this loudly and clearly: These people have lost their fucking minds.
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Jack Hopkins-The Original @therealjackhopkins.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
When the banks needed help, they called it “stabilizing the economy.” When airlines needed help, they called it “protecting jobs.” When corporations got tax breaks, they called it “pro-growth.” When working people need health care? “SOCIALISM.”
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Brandi Buchman @brandibuchman.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Library funding is tied to usage.
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VictorianLondon @victorianlondon.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
strong Mulder & Scully vibes
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Darren S. Layne @funkyplaid.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Things I Never Knew I Needed for three-hundred, Alex. Thanks so much, @marssie.bsky.social! We luff them bigmuch!
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Shahan Ali Memon @shahanmemon.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
#Academia has an empathy problem. #LongRant We train people to be rigorous thinkers, and productive researchers (or at least claim to). But we do far less to train ourselves to listen, uplift others, and be good members of an intellectual community. We should actively practice empathy too. 🧵
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Institute of Historical Research @ihr.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Are you considering career options after a PhD in History or a related subject? Join @historylabplus.bsky.social colleagues for this session with a fantastic panel of History PhD graduates who have all taken their skills into a variety of areas beyond HE. www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
history.ac.uk
Finding a Role: Using History PhD Skills Beyond HE
History Lab+ Training
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Tobias Wilson-Bates @phdhurtbrain.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
The solution to AI cheating in the classroom cannot be buying into deeply flawed AI detection tools marketed by the same companies selling the AI being used for cheating in the first place.
Scene from Dr Seuss’s Bitter Butter Battle
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Aparna Nair @disabilitystor1.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
"History involves sorting and organizing hundreds of thousands of facts" I remain astounded by how loud and wrong people are about what history actually is.
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Megan Stevenson
@MeganTStevenson
I haven't heard people talking about this, but AI is an absolute game changer for doing historical research. History involves sorting and organizing hundreds of thousands of facts— a massive logistical/memory problem made so delightfully easy with agentic research. 1/
1:31 PM · Jul 29, 2026
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Megan Stevenson
@MeganTStevenson
·
Jul 29
I did an OCR conversion of all my PDFs to make text files, built a semantic search index, and can just let my agents roam free to answer questions, fact-check, dig up interesting stories, quotes, etc. It takes a lot of the hard work out, as well as a lot of the human error. 2/2
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Darren S. Layne @funkyplaid.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Shadow of Cat in Window, Wildfire Edition. This gives some perspective on how unhealthy the air is right now in the PDX metro area. Thinking of those who are under physical threat. The Earth is angry, and she should be.
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Darren S. Layne @funkyplaid.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Lightning jaunt to Astoria for an Oregon Historical Society educator visit to the incredible Columbia River Maritime Museum. The coast is clear but apocalyptic skies on the way home due to the PNW fires. Hoping some rains aren't too far ahead of us.
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cygnoir @cygnoir.net · 04/08/2026
Oregon folks: If you are looking for a space with cleaner and cooler air, go to this site and enter "Wildfire Related Clean Air Shelters" and your location and search radius. Also, your closest space may be your local public library, so check their website, too. Masks help with smoke, too.
211info.org
211info | Connect. Inform. Empower.
211info is a community-based nonprofit organization funded by state and municipal contracts, foundations, United Ways, donations and community partners in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
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G. Willow Wilson @gwillow.me · 03/08/2026
There is no version of yourself you could become that would satisfy the people who hate you. So you might as well be who you are.
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tyler @tylergscott.com · 31/07/2026
in portland someone spray painted penises around potholes, and they got filled pretty immediately www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
oregonlive.com
A crude pothole graffiti tactic got Portland’s attention. Please don’t copy it, officials say
Nearby apartment dwellers had a bird's eye view of the graphic murals.
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