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Melissa Ryckman

@missoularedhead.bsky.social
4.2K followers 1.9K following 2.5K posts

Historian, medievalist, geek, feminist, mom, crocheter, potter. Order changes depending on day. Associate professor. All my own thoughts (most of which lately are 'wtf'). Desperately trying to do research.

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Reposted by Melissa Ryckman
Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Judge strikes down Texas ban on drag shows, tells people offended by them ‘just don’t go’
nbcnews.com
Judge strikes down Texas ban on drag shows, tells people offended by them ‘just don’t go’
The federal judge, who cited Dolly Parton in his ruling, found that the state law violated the First Amendment.
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I’m not one to do a whole lot of petition sharing, but renaming Nashville’s airport for Dolly? That I’ll share. c.org/w5Bk56xntw
c.org
Sign the Petition
Rename Nashville International Airport to Dolly Parton International Airport
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Reposted by Melissa Ryckman
gwen howerton @kissphoria.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Here's my story on Texas' drag ban being ruled unconstitutional again. Fun quote from Judge David Hittner, a Reagan appointee: "Finally, for those who find such activities as described in this case offensive, the solution is relatively simple … just don’t go." www.chron.com/culture/arti...
chron.com
'Just don't go': Judge once again finds Texas drag ban unconstitutional
For the second time in three years, a federal judge has ruled Texas' ban on drag shows is unconstitutional.
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
All I can say is Gov. Bill Lee better order those flags at half staff or he’s going to have a hostile bunch on his hands.
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Okay, now I’m crying.
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Reposted by Melissa Ryckman
Library of Congress @librarycongress.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
The Library is devastated to learn of the passing of Dolly Parton, a music legend and titan of children's literacy. Her Imagination Library program has earned multiple Library Literacy Awards and, in 2018, she visited us to donate its 100 millionth book to our collection and host a story time. 🦋❤️
Dolly Parton reads to children in the Library’s Great Hall in 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
My class is taking 5 minutes to absorb the death of Dolly. In Tennessee, it’s what you do.
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Dr. Damien P. Williams, dread portent down from a mountain cave @wolven.blacksky.app · 14/07/2026
The massive dismantling of both this country's food safety surveillance apparatus and its general workforce has had entirely predictable results.
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
They really are scared of just about everything, aren’t they!
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Day 5 of being bionic: a full-on shower with hair washing and everything!
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Reposted by Melissa Ryckman
🇨🇦Tadhg Dalaigh @tadhgdalaigh.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
@mark-carney.bsky.social
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Reposted by Melissa Ryckman
Josephine beckbook.com Riesman @josie.zone · 12/07/2026
Unacceptable ways to mock Lindsey Graham in death: -"He was gay lol" Acceptable ways to mock Lindsey Graham in death: -Literally every other possible insult
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
🤣🤣🤣 oh, sorry. You expected me to be sad? Miss Graham, don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya.
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Today’s adventure in being bionic…taking a shower!
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Of course Thomas dissented. Of course.
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
My child is awesome. For my birthday this year, she got me time with otters, my favorite animal. Softer than I thought. No shots of my face, though.
An otter eating ice from the hand of a woman with braids wearing a black and red tank top and jeans. An otter sitting in the lap of a woman with tattoos wearing a tan shirt with writing.An otter getting a head scratch from an arm with a silver cuff.
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Why does she only do this when I’m just about to go to bed?!
A dilute tortie cat asleep on a blue blanket.
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Apparently, calling out racism is anti-Christian according to some. Maybe Jesus needs to start smiting some people? www.hatecomestomainstreet.com/p/the-southe...
hatecomestomainstreet.com
The Southern Baptist Convention - and Its 'Horrific, Un-Christian' Race Problem
ANALYSIS: For SBC influencer William Wolfe, “racism” is denouncing racism and white supremacy.
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
I mean, John Bolton is a fairly vile human being, but if he’s looking at up to 5 years in prison for classified documents, how many years would the Mango Maniac get for all the stuff he tried to steal?!
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
I’m absolutely with Heather on this one.
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Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Democrats have appealed a ruling that refused to block President Donald Trump’s anti-mail voting executive order as the administration moves to carry it out — a major escalation in one of the most consequential voting rights battles ahead of the 2026 midterms. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
democracydocket.com
Democrats appeal ruling that left Trump’s anti-mail voting order in place
Voting rights advocates have warned that Trump's scheme could inject chaos into elections, wrongly block eligible voters from receiving ballots and seize power that, under the U.S. Constitution, belon...
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Reposted by Melissa Ryckman
Newsweek @newsweek.com · 03/06/2026
Numerous redistricting efforts have taken place across the country ahead of the midterm elections.
newsweek.com
Justice Sotomayor Blasts Supreme Court for Creating ‘Chaos’ With Ruling
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Fuck this SCOTUS bullshit. Enraging.
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Honest question: why are they so opposed to science?!?
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Silicon Valley Is Bracing for a Permanent Underclass www.nytimes.com/2026/04/30/o... & it’s fucking terrifying.
nytimes.com
Opinion | Silicon Valley Is Bracing for a Permanent Underclass
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Judges, man. They just don’t brook nonsense. And I am here for it.
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T. Greg Doucette @gregdoucette.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Then they're not "swing" voters, they're just Republicans
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Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
omg this is insane
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Until it is fired, clay is infinitely reusable. This is reclaimed clay. All the scraps from throwing & trimming go into a 5 gallon bucket w/ water & gets mixed. Then it gets spread out ontoo a drying surface (this is Hardie board), dried out a bit, wedged, & reused. I love this stuff.
A tabletop covered in light gray clay that is the consistency of soft buttercream frosting.
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
I just did something that feels amazing. I just blocked the text alerts for the high school. No more 6 am texts about Bus 71 running 20 minutes late, or being replaced by Bus 114. No more reminders about parking. No more, no more, no more. I feel like celebrating!
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
I’ve been doing a lot of pottery lately. Mostly because I can’t with (flails arms) all this.
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Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 17/05/2026
Joe Ceballos, the former Republican mayor of Coldwater, Kansas, voted for Trump, believed the “only violent criminals” line, then ended up in ICE detention himself after pleading guilty to voting as a noncitizen. And get this shit: He says he does not regret voting for Trump. 1/2
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50501az.bsky.social @50501az.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Word is on the street is that the MAGA Fake-Unsupreme Court of the USA is going to let Trump walk after he raped E Jean Carroll. This is an offense to every woman and the rule of law. "No one is above the law." Unless Trump has dirt on you. www.msn.com/en-us/news/p...
msn.com
MSN
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
I was just told that “The Constitution” is the only law we have. Um…tell that to all those state governments passing laws, then.
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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
“2 weeks” Everybody drink! 🍹 By “time is not of the essence for us” he means he doesn’t care how many American lives this war costs or how expensive things are for you
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
It’s not even 8 a.m. and I’m already over today.
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Pretty much.
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Well, now I get water planes…
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Does anyone else get the post- semester crash day where you just sleep all day the day after graduation? Went to bed at 10, woke up at 6 like normal. Went back to bed at 7, woke up at 11. Feel asleep on the couch around 1, woke up at 4:30. I feel SO much better.
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
Is it just me, or is anyone else thinking…this happened the last time his numbers were in the toilet?
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
I will be the test case.
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Reposted by Melissa Ryckman
Jenny Cohn @jennycohn.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
ICYMI, people and organizations tied to Hungarian president Viktor Orban’s former regime have been deeply involved with NatCon, the Thiel-backed conference that elevated both JD Vance and Christian Nationalism in the US. I’ve been collecting receipts. 1/
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Matterist Books @matteristbooks.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
The feel good stat of the day from @bookshop.org... "In 1995, a year after Amazon opened, there were 5,500 stores in the American Bookseller Association. By 2019, there were only 1,887. Today there are over 3,200.” That’s advocacy. Thank you for supporting independent bookstores. You rock!
https://Bookshop.org…
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
This! I teach a 4/4 load at regional campus in a system where the flagship has departments with more faculty than we have in total. If people want to know what higher ed is really like, ask folks like me!
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Today has been one of those days. I banged my kneecap hard on my car, my cat Squish decided to get on the roof somehow (in a thunderstorm), and then I got stung by a wasp that had was on the deck in the dark, right between my toes. But I threw some nice pots, so there is that, I guess?
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Y’all, I’m finally getting the hang of this pottery thing. Not quitting my day job any time soon, though.
A wet rounded piece of pottery on a bat on a shelf with a white wall and a levelTop view of a piece of greenware pottery with a ruffled edgeSide view of a piece of pottery with a ruffled edge
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Reposted by Melissa Ryckman
Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
This, a thousand times, this.
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Melissa Ryckman @missoularedhead.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
I made a veggie and dip tray. Pottery is my sanity.
An image of a raw clay platter with a small bowl in the center, on a wooden bat, against a brick wall.
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