iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

This is all very distressing - and I don't even live there.

Facebook post from Feminist news sharing an X post, headed 'If journalists wrote about the US government the way they do foreign governments': Stan Oklobdzija writes, 'Masked security forces captured an opposition leader in the coastal province of New Jersey as regime officials continue their months-long crackdown against pro-democracy elements in the embattled United States. The arrest comes as the regime issued calls for summary detentions without trial.'

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

WARNING FB now removing comments critical of Cheeto, even when not using trigger words, and placing warnings on a/c posting them. Have a backup plan if you need to stay there. Second a/c, different email/name, friend yourself. Download your photos. #policestate

000 0

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

That thing where your book gets a 5-star review from Reader Views. Woot! #booksofbluesky readerviews.com/.../down-to-... E-book: www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/... Paperback: www.amazon.com/Down.../dp/1.... #disability #DisabilityInclusion #sailing #specialeducation #specialeducationteacher #downsyndrome

Cover of Down to the Sea by Mike Belnap and Candy Lawrence, with Reader Views five star review sticker attached. The picture is a young man with surfboards on top of his Land Cruiser, silhouetted in sunset colours. Above is a picture of his wife with their child, who has Down syndrome, on a yacht, with the words 'Your baby is Mongoloid - you don't have to take him home.'

010 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Did you know I have a Patreon? The whole of April is about autism awareness, right? So I thought... I'll write about it. Today there's a FREE post about my autistic difficulties with communication. Find it here: www.patreon.com/posts/autist... #autism #communication #auditoryprocessing #masking

patreon.com

Autistic communication: an inside view | Candy Lawrence

Get more from Candy Lawrence on Patreon

000 0

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

World Autism Awareness Day! Sharing a meme? Nice. Please do! But we really want inclusion *without demanding we hide who we are*. And understanding needs to start young. Bookshop link: www.monkeyread.me/shop/ 'Bodie Finch' e-book: amzn.asia/d/eyKMj0F Print book outside Aus: a.co/d/4jw8evH #booksky

Three book covers are shown under the heading 'Autism awareness made easier so even a child can get it'. Byline - Books help you explain.

Book 1, to show how some kids hide autism, is called Lilly's Mask. A red dragon roars over the head of a small Asian girl. Book 2, to help stop exploitation, is called I Won't, said Willow. A red-haired white girl stands defiantly, hand on hips. Book 3, autism behaviours explained, is called Being Friends with Bodie Finch. A blonde girl runs from a dark-haired boy who's throwing a chair at her. She looks scared.

110 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

You can’t possibly imagine that Twatwaffle will allow a fair election? Next time you’ll only remove him by force. And I’m not sure US citizens have the stomach for revolution, or it would already have started. They’re too scared to admit that they’ve gone from ‘greatest’ country to fascist regime.

000 0

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

I think that’s an excellent reply, and much more polite than what I said to Kevin Hogan when he tried to spew his garbage in my ear on the street last election.

010 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

Isn’t there a law about this? Don’t they have to include unsubscribe instructions?

130 3

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

Got young kids? Come visit my shop! www.monkeyread.me/shop/ amzn.asia/d/8SIKIha (e-book for under $10) My books speak to kids about their real life world. They love them and learn from them. #disability #autism #specialed #specialeducation #ECE #booksofbluesky #indieauthors #inclusion #kindy

Picture of dark-haired little boy in a blue and yellow outfit throwing a chair at a little blonde girl in a purple and white tutu. He looks angry, She looks scared. Text reads 'When Bodie Finch gets cross, he throws things. I get scared.' Header says Monkeyread.me Books. Footer says 'Real stories, about real children.'

000 0

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

My heartdog Jack, 2005-2019. RIP my fabulous, hilarious, athletic companion. #dogsofBluesky

A black dog with a brown collar, Labrador cross Doberman cross Greyhound, leaps across and into a dam in pursuit of his ball against a background of green grass. He looks very fit and you can almost see the speed from his stretched posture.

0120 12

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

This book is simply A GOOD READ. E-book (affordable!) www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/... Hard copy books.google.com.au/books?id=Fcp.... #downsyndrome #downsyndromeawareness #specialed #specialeducation #books #BooksofBluesky #specialolympics #Tonga #teaching #ableism #sailing #goodreads #diversity

A book cover in shades of sunset colours showing a surfer and his boards on his car in silhouette. The title is 'Down to the Sea' by Mike Belnap and Candy Lawrence. Byline: 'Your baby is Mongoloid. You don't have to take him home. But we did...'

Around the book on a crumpled black background is more information. First time parents fight ableism and prejudice. Disabled baby goes sailing. Island life in Tonga - boy did we learn a lot! Life or death drama for Mum and Dad. Soecial Olympics for the #WIN. And so much more.

010 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 16/03/2025

YEEHAW! My biography of Down Syndrome #winner Ty Belnap is here! Print book: books.google.com.au/books/about/... or e-book: www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/... #booksky #books #readingcommunity #diversebooksky #readsky #downsyndrome #disability #writingandbooks #goodreads #sailing #education #specialed

Newspaper-style heading says Ableist Weekly, September 1978. Headline is 'Don't take that baby home' - Parents thumb nose at doctor's advice'. Text reads 'In a surprising turn of events at a local hospital, first time parents Mike and Nancy Belnap have ignored their doctor's advice to abandon their son Ty, who was born with Down Syndrome. Watch this space for more on how Ty went from reject to sporting champion!' The web address is www.monkeyread.me

031 3

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

I'll just leave this here. Seems I've lost my appetite.

010 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Oh wait. Is it available for Android phones? Because I refuse to buy an iPhone 🤣... found it for my iPad.

100 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Hey brains trust, is Flashes available in Australia yet? Can't find it in the app store...

100 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

The two party system is utterly screwed. Just hoping to god that Australians aren't as gullible as Americans, yanno... #funnynotfunny www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kYI...

youtube.com

Honest Government Ad | Our Last Fair Election?

YouTube video by thejuicemedia

010 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

I thought I'd puppy-proofed my house until I put an actual puppy in it. Do not be fooled by the innocent expression. #dogsofbluesky #puppies

A 3 month old tan and black German Shepherd cross Border Collie pup stares at the camera sleepily while lying on a brindle cowskin.

190 9

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

This is a post from Fear and Loathing: Closer to the Edge, a brilliant FB site which I suggest you all follow and subscribe to. Brilliant writing and terrifying content. Apologies to those who next alt text, can't seem to work it out on a link, but click the post. www.facebook.com/FearAndLoath...

facebook.com

Fear and Loathing: Closer to the Edge

There is something rancid in America, a slow, creeping rot that smells like cold McDonald’s fries, aerosol hairspray, and the unmistakable musk of a country too sedated to recognize its own hostage...

010 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Thank you for perfectly expressing my thoughts on this matter. <looks for #fuckwitsofbluesky hashtag>

020 2

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Apologies for the radio silence. Have been busy finding a new companion for my Ted - he's pining since we had to put down his playmate. How do you like this little lady? ♥️ Hoping to meet her very soon! #dogsofbluesky

Picture shows a tan and black puppy about three months old. She's a German Shepherd cross Border Collie but looks most like a Shepherd. She has a red collar on.

071 7

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

What is DEI? Here's the answer for those from outside the US who have passed it off as another weird US acronym that probs doesn't concern them. ie: If you are not a white rich male from their own country and of their own religion, they are officially scrapping any semblance of care about you.

If you oppose DEI you should have to use the full phrase instead of the letters. Be brave and say 'I oppose diversity, equity and inclusion'. Bonus points if you admit which part of that you don't like. Making it an acronym transforms it into a thought-terminating cliché. From now on, be proud of your opinions, but be specific. Let everyone know if it's diversity you don't like, or if it's equity, or if it's being inclusive.

010 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

My temperature regulation is utterly ratshit. Apparently it's a thing with autism? If I'm cold my brain stops. Really stops. If I'm hot I get panicky. I'm sliding from one to the other a lot of the time. #awesometobeus

110 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Even in Queensland, folks. Even in Queensland. It's not just the US. (Qld has just shut the door on hormone treatment for under-18s, which means voices will break, hair and genitals and breasts will grow, and more young people will end themselves as a result. Not cool, Qld. Sociopathic, Qld.)

Meme in pink, blue, white and grey, by 'have a gay day': First they came for the trans people, and I spoke out immediately even though I'm straight and cis because I've read the rest of the fucking poem.'

150 5

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

I can't verify this as gospel, but the message is strong regardless. There are many ways to quietly disobey, America.

The text tells the story of a fighter plane crew in World War II who were hit by Nazi fire but the plane didn't explode; on examination, the shells were found to contain a note saying 'This is all we can do for you now'. A commenter notes that harm reduction is not pointless, and that the message's underlying thought is 'they are trying to make us kill you and we refuse'.

010 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Remember, USA - tolerating intolerance allows intolerance to flourish. Don't let the w⚓s confuse you or call you a hypocrite.

From Wikipedia, shared by Fight the Patriarchy: The paradox of tolerance is a philosophical concept suggesting that if a society extends tolerance to those who are intolerant, it risks enabling the eventual dominance of intolerance, thereby undermining the very principle of tolerance. This paradox was articulated by philosopher Karl Popper in 'The Open Society and its Enemies' (1945), where he argued that a truly tolerant society must not tolerate those who promote intolerance. Popper posited that if intolerant ideologies are allowed unchecked expression, they could exploit open society values to erode or destroy tolerance itself through authoritarian or oppressive practices.

030 3

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Excellent article on how to find focus in the Age of Cheeto. Even from as far away as Australia I find it frightening and depressing, but the essence pf survival is to support the essential workers and cooperate only in subtle rebellion - not to whine, blame and tear each other apart.

010 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

As a writer who couldn't find her goddamned new story yesterday on her own computer, I feel this in my bones. I AM NOT HERE TO PLAY HIDE AND SEEK, FOLKS 😤

Cartoon meme of two men at the computer business centre. One is saying to the other, 'I do not want to save to onedrive. I want to save to the documents folder... on my computer... in my own house.'

161 6

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

I have an unusual way of illustrating my children's books. A zillion little moving parts made of paper, all layered into a collage with natural materials. I've never done a cat before, so this is part of a prototype. At least it's distracted me from missing our dog... sigh.

Drawn and cut out cats compiled of many little parts, just black outlines on white paper. One cat has golden eyes.

040 4

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Some bookseller somewhere is right on the money...

Bookstore bookshelf. A white book called 'Surrounded by Idiots' by Thomas Erikson is flanked by two copies of Elon Musk's biography.

010 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Normal service will resume when I stop bursting into tears after having to put our dear old dog down at the weekend. Cancer really is an utter arse.

Picture of the head of OP's old black dog, wrapped in a white shroud and holding a small bouquet of rosemary, lavender and a single red rose between her paws. She's surrounded by red and purple hearts.

020 2

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

This is so damn true. Australians are super defensive about criticism and he turned that into an art form. Self-deception as a required mindset.

041 4

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

I’m always bewildered by the attitude that politicians at ANY level automatically deserve special respect and should be kowtowed to. Um, nope. We’re the employers and they are the employees. And if they’re not doing that job, which is to spend our taxes in our best interests… pfft.

0116 11

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

We're having big storms in eastern Australia. Lots of people are losing power, emptying freezers and fridges, trying to save or share food, wailing about when it'll be fixed... ...but we're on stand-alone solar. No power outages, ever. Don't let ANYONE tell you solar power is rubbish.

media.tenor.com

a man stands on a roof with solar panels

Alt: a man stands on a roof with solar panels as smile emojis rise around him

030 3

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

It's hard when you feel like you've struggled all your life to make it a fairer, kinder world... ... and now <looks around> <throws up hands> 😱 Remember they *love* to divide and conquer. Don't squabble amongst yourselves.

Meme shows a small raccoon sitting sadly by the roadside. Text reads 'When you realize you don't want to be responsible for anything anymore and you just want to nap and be small'

120 2

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Word. It's so sad to watch this happen to you folks in the US five whole years after it happened to us in Australia. Wouldn't you think they'd learn and make changes? Wouldn't you think that actual EVENTS would convince the climate deniers? Nope.

Cartoon by Cathy Wilcox of The Age newspaper. In the background, LA homes and huge letters reading 'FACTS' are on fire. In the foreground, a family flees, saying 'I guess we'll never know what caused it'.

0127 12

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

If you've never heard that, you're clearly not an Australian who lived through PM Scott Morrison's bullshit during Black Summer in 2019-20. It got to the point where firefighters were refusing to shake his hand for his photo opportunities and *he was trying to force them*. Fuck capitalism to hell

000 0

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

Hahaha I've done proofreading professionally and STILL mistakes slip through! It's hard!

010 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

And more books are on their way - one about consent, one about death and dying, and one about the residual fears after a climate disaster (in this case a flood). Watch this space!

Cover of 'DJ and the Flood' by Candy Lawrence. A black and white Border Collie sits howling on a pile of rubbish, surrounded by rushing brown water, in front of a night sky.

000 0

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

Wait though. How do we teach kids to tell us clearly about someone infringing their body privacy? How can we be sure? We teach them the correct anatomical words. Did you know that child abusers AVOID kids who know the correct names of their private parts? TRUE. Get it at monkeyread.me/shop/

Cover of 'We need to talk about BOTTOMS' by Candy Lawrence. Banners read 'Child protection' and 'plus 20+ page digital handbook'. Three small children, two white girls and an Aboriginal boy, are talking in the playground; one girl is frowning, thinking about a boy's body, but in her thoughts there's a big question mark over their private parts.

100 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

And then there's child abuse. What tf do we do about that? We educate our kids. This one teaches them that there are ways to set body boundaries, and that some secrets need to be told. It doesn't mention sex once. It's about boundaries and consent. Get it at monkeyread.me/shop/

Cover of 'I Won't, said Willow' by Candy Lawrence. Banners read 'Protective behaviour' and 'plus 60+ page digital handbook'. A red-haired girl stands, hands on hips and frowning, obviously not happy. She wears pink overalls and a white shirt.

100 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

But maybe bullying is your child's issue. Are they the bully, the sidekick or the victim? How do you turn them into an ally instead? This one might start you talking deeply. Yes, four- and five-year-olds can talk deeply when they recognise themselves in a book. Get it at monkeyread.me/shop/

Cover of 'Mean Eric' by Candy Lawrence. Banners read 'Stand up to bullying' and 'plus 80+ page digital handbook'. A teacher indicates STOP with her hand while a blonde boy torments a honey-blonde girl by throwing her hat over her head to his Indigenous Australian sidekick.

100 1

MonkeyRead.me Publishing @monkeyreadme.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

Oh but you've got a GIRL with autism and it took a while to realise, because she hides it? That's called masking, and here's a book for her. (And yes, some boys mask too!) Contains dragon. Contains puppy. Contains kid exploding when she comes home from school. Get it at monkeyread.me/shop/

Book cover of 'Lilly's Mask' by Candy Lawrence. Banners read 'Autism in girls' and 'Plus 60+ page digital handbook'. A frowning little Asian girl holds a smiling mask while behind her a red dragon breathes fire over her head.

100 1