iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

He's fixing NYC. Wonder if he can do all of America next? #Mamdani

O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

So #TheScandal has Westernised gratuitous nudity & soft porn sex adding nothing to the plot. Is this the start of a downward spiral for Kdrama serving Netflix interests? #JiChangWook squeezing possibly prosthetic breasts. 🙄 Not talking morality but the art of visual storytellng.

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KimBo @zapperfan7.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

A rooftop wind turbine that could change the way we think about home energy Imagine generating electricity from the wind without needing a massive tower, a huge plot of land, or a traditional wind farm. The technology shown here is designed to bring small-scale wind generation directly onto rooftops

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Aside from forever waltzing into everyone's household, especially the Xie's, like he's king of the place & with his own private army whether Lord Yan or Shen (shades of #LLTG Ling Buyi) I love that our ML comes with an infinite supply of imperial decrees up his sleeve. #SpringoftheBlade

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I'm totally in favour of anything that shows how counter-productive & dangerous Elon Musk is to humanity.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The idiocy & recklessness of the Parades Commission in Northern Ireland cannot go unchallenged. They must be investigated. Were things too peaceful for them? They had to light a fire to start it all up again which could easily spread. Utter insanity! www.bbc.com/news/live/ck...

bbc.com

Drumcree: Protests as controversial Orange Order march due to go ahead for first time since 1997

The march down the mainly-nationalist Garvaghy Road, which in the 1990s sparked some of the most serious disorder in Northern Ireland's history, will go ahead after a series of courtroom challenges.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

One has an international warrant out for his arrest. One does not. #Gaza #Palestine

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Good morning, Bluesky folk. I love everything about this painting. 😍

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Still in love with #AgainsttheCurrent while falling madly into #SpringoftheBlade. Testimony to great script, direction & production, also supporting cast, as I avoid or drop series with either lead. They've limited emotional range & 0 chemistry here but their revenge arcs are rivetting!

Leads of Chinese historical drama Xu Kai and Zhou Ye in costume.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Copy of my friend's latest collection of #haiku arrived this week. Andrew Fitzsimons is an Irish poet, translator (Basho: The Complete Haiku, amongst others) & professor who lives in Tokyo. These poems refer to the strange case of a serial murderer in Japan called "The Haiku Killer"

Book cover shows partial image of a purply brown "inugami" or dog spirit/demon in picture scroll design from the Edo period.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I should be working but Bilibili has dropped ep 28 #AgainsttheCurrent and I'm heading into the wedding. WOO HOO. Look at our happy ML. (This is not a SPOILER if you watched the intro.)

Wedding procession, historical Chinese drama, groom in red with black hat on a horse, marriage carriage behind him, red and gold, in which sits the bride.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Shout out to @support.bsky.team. If you email them, they do indeed get back to you, if slowly, with genuine desire to resolve your issue (my disappearing Dante thread). As far as I can tell, they are human not AI.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Anyone else watching #TheScandal on Netflix? I was all set to boycott, citing Americanisation i.e. sexualisation of Kdrama when I saw 1) #JiChangWook & 2) #DangerousLiasions. You can't do the latter without sex (it's French) & it's all about sex & power. This is a brilliant adaptation. 🌟

Leads of historical Kdrama in Joseon era costume.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Friend's husband away Saturday (also my friend & former Early Irish History prof) so we got into pjs, made tea & toast & I intro'd her to cdrama #PursuitofJade - 6 eps lol. At one point Changyu was counting & my pal joined her. WHAT? "My closest San Francisco classmates were Chinese."

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Not long back from County Galway in the west of Ireland. Gorgeous sunny days, craic with friends, flower workshop & good food. This is on the train home, coming into Tullamore. That's Ballycowan Castle, a 16th c castellated tower house. #Tullamore #Ireland

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Have a great weekend everyone! ❤️

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

@tinacmml.bsky.social Sending this a bit early as I'm away over the weekend minus laptop. You're getting it in his Mandarin with a bonus addition of subtitle in Indonesian. #LiuYuning HAPPY BIRTHDAY. 🥳 youtu.be/0doaxtLhqC0?...

youtu.be

Liu Yuning wishing happy birthday to you

YouTube video by LiuYuning🇮🇩Community

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

But while #ZhangLinghe is the pretty face of #PursuitofJade, Mrs Fan's story is what holds people. His is boring & only interesting when it crosses with hers. #TianXi is the heart & soul of the series & few FLs could carry it as well. I still maintain, any beautiful ML could've been the Maquis.

FL Pursuit of Jade in historical Cdrama costume, female general in armour and red cape with white fur. Hair bound high with headpiece normally worn by a male character.

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Dr. Mar @boldnewme.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Putting your principles first.

In September 1964, the Beatles refused to play the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida, when they learned the crowd would be segregated.
The city backed down.
The show went ahead - integrated.
Bringing that up this week for no reason in particular...
Music has always
been bigger than just music.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

On its way from Kennys Bookshop, #DreamoftheRedChamber 1,606 pages! I'll be in olde China for months. Epic intergenerational story of a noble family's women (with poetry). First encountered the book in the imperial library in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul. In my hanbok at a desk, perusing tomes. 😍

Parujeong Pavilion 2-storey octagonal structure physically attached to the main library hall by a raised corridor.

Images of Joseon era "books" the voluminous chapters no doubt of the epic thousand page plus novel.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Good morning, Bluesky. (Sliding under the noon wire.)

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Tony @antonyillahiwarren.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Haha, good! Ed Sheeran will never live this down.

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Una Mullally @unamullally.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

The Irish musicians, Beoga, who play alongside Ed Sheeran, have withdrawn from Sheeran’s tour. This is the statement they published on Instagram:

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Here you go, lads. Screenshot. 🥰 You're welcome. #LiuXueYi

Close up of ML Against the Current in historical Cdrama costume: hair bun topknot, blue robe.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Not one damned thing but another (or whatever it was St Vincent Millay said). With website email online, I used to get "I've a legacy I can't access without a bank account in your country, let's share it" scammers. Thanks to bloody AI, I now get refined author let-me-promote-your-work scams.

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Áine Keenan @ainekeenan.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Francis Fay is proud to curate 'Michael Dillon: Ireland's Extraordinary Trans Pioneer' - doctor, writer, athlete, Buddhist monk and the first-recorded man to undergo gender-affirming surgery. 26 Sept–8 Oct | Outhouse, Dublin 🏳️‍⚧️ dublinfestivalofhistory.ie/event/exhibi... #SpeirGorm #trans #lgbtq

The second child of Robert Arthur Dillon, heir to the baronetcy of Lismullen, County Meath, Michael studied medicine at Trinity College Dublin between 1945 and 1951, where he also proved to be a distinguished rower. In 1946, he published ‘Self: A Study in Endocrinology and Ethics’, arguing that people should be able to receive medical treatment that would alter their bodies to match their internal sense of gender.

Weaving text, images, sound, and video, this exhibition traces Dillon’s life, ideas, and enduring influence. It explores his pioneering medical transition, undertaken between 1946 and 1950 with surgeon Sir Harold Gillies. Travelling between terms to England, Dillon underwent at least thirteen separate phalloplasty procedures, helping to pave the way both scientifically and socially for countless trans men who came after him to transition more safely and openly.

Situating Dillon’s story within wider histories of medicine, gender, identity, and social change, the exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to discover a little-known Irish historical figure whose life challenged conventions and helped shape modern understandings of transgender experience.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Started new Cdrama #AgainsttheCurrent. Loving it. Opposite to a short drama, the pace is slow with the director lingering over every scene so you can savour the full emotional impact, the incredible acting of young & old & the beauty of the settings. First episode is harrowing! 💔

FL Tan Songyun and ML Liu Xueyi in red historical drama wedding outfits.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

The fact our sleeveen government is rolling out the red carpet for this criminal when the majority of the country loathes him, makes me ill. 🤢 Sculpture on Dublin beach by Waterford artist Seán Corcoran. Sand reminding us there will come a time when he is gone & not too soon!

Sand sculpture on Dublin beach with buildings in background.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I'm rewatching #LovesAmbition because I'm on a #WilliamChan kick but my god #ZhaoLusi. Magnificent. Have people heard about her own upcoming production? Short drama with lots of her fave people in it including her Dad who's a general. 😍She's the producer. #SonderIamNotNPC.

Zhao Jun in historical drama costume and long hair wig, cut on nose, light beard.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Show us your face for the week. (Me recovering from overload of DIY followed by house full of guests.)

static.klipy.com

Hmm Confused

Alt: Zhao Lusi down time, exhausted. (Hanzi says "Mum is tired.")

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

This is a bit of genius. 🌟 That Frankenstein was created by a woman was unknown for ages despite all the old films. I was shocked to discover as an adult that the author was "the wife of the poet Shelley". And a good while after that, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley entered the chat.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FF0... This is sweet. He was Mr Wholesome. My Dad played this kind of music for money but was a jazz musician at heart.

youtube.com

Val Doonican - Elusive Butterfly

YouTube video by 45RPMbyJME

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The 70s Guy @stevenw888.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Born 3 Feb 1927, #ValDoonican, Irish singer & TV presenter who had the 1964 UK No. 4 single 'Walk Tall', and the 1967 UK No.1 album 'Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently'. The Val Doonican Show featured his singing & a selection of guests, and had a long and successful run on BBC TV from 1965 to 1986.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I was actually named after this Val who's well known to older generations in Ireland & UK. My Dad was in his band before Val emigrated to England & we emigrated to Canada. He also had a room in our house in Bray. #ValDoonican

Val Doonican Irish singer, TV show host in blue jumper with white turtle neck holding his guitar.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Exciting weekend in my hometown. Local legend #KatieTaylor won her last fight, bowing out at 40, world champion, changer of women's boxing worldwide, beloved by all Ireland & beyond. The last time there was a boxing match in iconic Croke Park, Dublin it was Muhammed Ali. 🌟❤️ #Bray

Irish world champion boxer Katie Taylor wearing her signature black & gold boxing shorts & top holding tricolour flag of Ireland behind her.

Katie Taylor savouring the moment of her last fight, last win.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

This is great. 😂 Though I have to say when I began to apply screenplay plotting to my early novel drafts, the rough got smoother faster. Less a wandering into the void to find story & characters, more a carving out of something from a real substance. Not stone though, I could change it. #writing

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

For dog lovers. I'm a cat-mother myself but I do love the odd dog. 😍

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Hy Brasil. An island of Tír na nÓg, Land of the Ever Young aka Faerie, which appears on & off in our world. I spotted it once off the coast of Achill Island in the west of Ireland years ago. Wrote it into The Summer King (Penguin, Abrams NY). Apparently it prefers western coasts as do many of us.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

"Beauty exists where its detractors haven't found it yet." (Don DeLillo, American novelist par excellence)

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Right. Back to work! Muscles so sore from weeding driveway (don't ask) AND painting yesterday just couldn't face the ladder yet. Last wall to be painted today & then move EVERYTHING back into galley kitchen. Not finished but the rest can be done after guests leave. Smaller jobs.

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

This is why I'm on Bluesky (besides chatting with fellow Asian drama lovers). Where else would I find two beautiful legends making music with their acrylic nails? 🥰

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Good morning, Bluesky folk. Here's an amazing woman. (And why is this the first time I've ever heard of her? We all know why.) 😍

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Bluesky is a great spot for procrastinating, isn't it? That's it. I'm away.

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C Eddison @indigorunner.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Good Morning

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O.R. Melling @ormelling.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Good morning, Bluesky folk & good evening those on far side of planet (me-centric POV). Back up the stepladder today. Last of walls & drawers to paint, window to wash, silicone caulking (not grouting, eejit) & that's it for now. Inner doors can wait. How I long to be a writer again! Soon.

Image of working woman arm up to show strength, wearing red head scarf with white polka dots and blue working-class shirt. Rosy the Rivetter.

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