Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
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ajaanmark.bsky.social
Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
@ajaanmark.bsky.social
From Australia, have also spent time in Malaysia and Thailand.

Sociologist, educator, flaneur, SFF appreciator

Starting a new Linguistics research project in intercultural pragmatics

Interested in Asia things and languages. Also: Buddhism.

He/Him
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
New canonical Ancient China knowledge vid has dropped.

Get this hot while it's still pre-Confucian 100 Schools of Thought and Hegemon-free. Burn this stuff into your oracle bones and for early adopters you'll get your name put into heaven's lotto for a chance at a free chariot and two-class raise.
The Western Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn Period - Explained
YouTube video by GatesOfKilikien
www.youtube.com
February 7, 2026 at 2:24 PM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
A friend has questions/is looking for help with Chinese (Mandarin & Cantonese) phrases and idioms for a translation project (subtitling a movie). Several are already answered, but there are also several that are still open. Maybe you're interested in helping?

c-ent.dreamwidth.org/291518.html
February 7, 2026 at 2:11 PM
I'm sorry but original Barnaby is the best Barnaby #Midsomer
February 7, 2026 at 2:14 PM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
I just had a bit of reposting jag on @womensart2.bsky.social .

And you know what?

February is a tough month for artists… so if you want to support a few with some reposting amplification, a sale or a commission that would be so appreciated.
February 7, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
The problem with so many of our top politicians - from Johnson, Mandelson, Farage - is that they all want to join the oligarch class. Whatever you think of Gordon Brown he is financially unbiddable www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
We owe it to Epstein’s victims and to British democracy to demand historic change | Gordon Brown
The abuse of women by figures such as Epstein, and of political power by the likes of Mandelson, must be confronted. As far as I am able, I will play my part, says former UK prime minister Gordon Brow...
www.theguardian.com
February 7, 2026 at 1:25 PM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
For Wesley is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men
The ruining of Wes and the rest of the neo-liberal Labour genocide party can't come quickly enough.
February 7, 2026 at 1:25 PM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
The Murdoch press doing a puff piece on Mandelson this weekend is a stark reminder of how our far right press constantly rehabilitates the rich and powerful no matter how immoral, corrupt or criminal.
February 7, 2026 at 1:38 PM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
These would be good prompts for a creative writing group.
It’s pretty grim, even by TaB and Chat standards.
February 7, 2026 at 1:12 PM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
話說天下大勢,分久必合,合久必分
February 7, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
Over the last 6 years seen kids rise up in Hong Kong, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand & many more places and what Erin says holds true in all cases.

It should not be like this... kids should never need to feel that they need to fight & sacrifice their childhoods.
😭 our kids should not have to save us because far too many adults in far too many rooms have created the material conditions under which our children must fight
February 7, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
I’m no fan of this author, & hear he very much overlooked murder of millions by Mao et Al;
but is this worth keeping and reading to understand history?
Or save my energy for better and recycle the paper?

@ajaanmark.bsky.social @kaiserkuo.bsky.social etc #China watchers:
February 7, 2026 at 12:48 PM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
best thing about conferences with people actually in your field: THE CONVERSATION. just this morning the three of us have namechecked gank your heart, king's avatar, at least 3 dmbjs, nirvana in fire, are you safe?, under the skin, spirealm, 19th floor, spy game, love between lines, i cd keep going—
February 7, 2026 at 10:30 AM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
Sociology is the enemy of the powerful. That's why authoritarians always come for it.
I do want to shout-out my fellow sociologists, who have collectively created a discipline so woke that not a single one of our introductory textbooks can make it past Florida's censors.

Great work everyone.
February 7, 2026 at 12:31 PM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
'Kingfisher with Iris and Wild Pinks' from an untitled series known as 'Small Flowers' - Katsushika Hokusai, 1834
#JapaneseArt #ukiyoe
February 7, 2026 at 12:50 PM
And here's the obvious segue to the next show to watch!
youtu.be/6sHdqb0fOvk?...
February 7, 2026 at 12:34 PM
I just finished watching Sapphire & Steel's first assignment. The show defies categorisation, really, but it's quite brilliant!
youtu.be/HdY4iD8oet8?...
February 7, 2026 at 12:16 PM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
Starmer problem solved. 1: Andy Burnham given seat in House of Lords. 2: Party pressure forces Starmer to resign. 3: Lord Burnham becomes PM (It worked for Alec Douglas Home in 1963 and can work again).4: Burnham wins by-election safe seat. 5: PR introduced. 6: Left-leaning coalition at next G.E.
February 7, 2026 at 12:06 PM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
The hypocrisy is off the scale. Does a puff piece in The Times. Then sends a notice via the press regulator telling journalists, those worthy of the name, not to harass him.
February 7, 2026 at 11:54 AM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
Young men are the second most liberal group in the country after young women.
The untold story that is told constantly and isn’t really true
February 7, 2026 at 11:44 AM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
As someone who used to write for young adults, facilitated workshops with them, went on speaking tours to meet them can I just say censoring young people has NEVER proven useful or beneficial in any way. Educating them to deal with social media is the best way to protect them from its shadow side.
February 7, 2026 at 11:31 AM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
"Editor's note: The lifelong peerage of Peter Mandelson was cancelled as this issue went to press. Peter Mandelson is still jobless and living as a free man"
February 7, 2026 at 11:35 AM
November 2024 - Trump elected

Many people: Trump will steal the midterms

Democrats and media: But the Constitution and rule of law

February 2026 - Trump says he wants to take over elections, Gabbard 'investigates', Bannon says 'ICE will be at the polling stations'

Democrats and media: copium
February 7, 2026 at 11:33 AM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
As the mother of a daughter whose multiple disabilities led to her having to leave her physical high school at 15 to do distance education, I hate to think how isolated she would have been had she not had access to social media.

It probably contributed to her still being alive.
February 7, 2026 at 11:20 AM
Reposted by Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭
Surely Peter could just send some emails and sort it all out
February 7, 2026 at 11:22 AM