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Jess Nevins

@jessnevins.bsky.social

14K followers 3.2K following 14K posts

Encyclopedist, college librarian, writer, ttrpg writer. I like to talk about Mesopotamia & Vikings. Always outnumbered, never outgunned. My podcast, "The History of Comic Books in 500 Issues," is at http://500issues.com

500issues.com

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Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 6h

Okay, it was me, I was the one who told the WSJ writer that Johnny Cash isn't cool.

Because he's not. He's just not. One hit, about taking your job and shoving it, and I'm supposed to think he's all great and stuff? Tcha, I think not!

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Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 6h

Wow.

Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 7h

Congratulations!

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Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 8h

TY!

Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 8h

Pretty amazing that John Swartzwelder not only played a big part in making The Simpsons a success but also found the exact solution to the Einstein field equations of general relativity, which led to the development of the Swartzwelder Radius, about the event horizons of jokes.

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Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 11h

I wonder if the students can sue?

Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 13h

Oh, sorry--I don't know if Marvel ever had Nasreddin appear in any of their stories--I'm telling a Hercules-meets-Nasreddin story in which Hercules has the personality of his Marvel counterpart--bluster (but good heart) vs the wise old fool.

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Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 14h

The other thing I'm doing to counteract the irritations is inserting into this gazetteer the story of what happened when Marvel's Hercules had to answer Nasreddin's riddles.

Which may mean nothing to you, but, trust me, it's hilarious to write.

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Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 14h

Thank you! I wasn't joking about the catharsis, though--bellowing "THE IMPUDENCE!" and sputtering as if I'm choleric with rage really does burn off the irritation.

Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 14h

(My reaction when a book isn't on the shelves where it's supposed to be. The person who'd asked me to find the book didn't know what to make of me, but that's alright, neither do I half the time).

Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 14h

Today's been a day of little irritations adding up to a big bad mood, but I've begun talking like an outraged Victorian schoolmaster, and it's actually quite cathartic.

"The impudence! The effrontery! Why, I will fetch them six good ones on their gluteus maximus for this impertinence!"

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Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 15h

Thanks!

Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 17h

Only a matter of time before my school has to do this. The article is right: dual-credit high school students are integral to the current c.c. business model. Which means that we have to cater to whatever small town bigots run the ISDs....

www.texastribune.org/2025/10/09/t...

Some Texas community colleges remove course materials amid broader push to limit gender identity discussions

At least two community colleges, Alvin and Blinn, are also considering what they can and can’t teach to high schoolers enrolled in their fast-growing dual credit courses.

www.texastribune.org

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Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 20h

Today's example of Mesopotamian pith (i.e. small words that stand for complicated ideas): the Hurrian (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurrians) word "abi," which Emmanuel Laroche's handy GLOSSAIRE DE LA LANGUE HOURRITE informs us means "a hole dug in the ground to communicate with the infernal powers."

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Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 1d

"Prebend" is a funny old word, isn't it?

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Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 1d

I grew up because of social media. I made friends. I met girlfriends and other people I was intimate with. I got in touch with someone I'd been out of touch with for a while and we ended up getting married. I have a writing career because of social media.

Also learned a lot of "yo mama" jokes.

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 2d

Has anything great happened in your life because of social media?

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Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 1d

It's a fair cop.

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Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 1d

I hear Taylor Swift sang a song about me.

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Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 1d

"What new devilry is this?" Is in there, at least. I use that line a lot.

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Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 1d

Nononono

Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 1d

"I'm not dying, y'all! It's October 8th, and I'm obviously still here. But not for long! At the ends of this week I'll be subliming--leaving the cramped dimensions of space-time behind to take up residence in several higher dimensions.

"Jolene is trapped in a 4D hypersphere/7D torus, but I'm not!"

Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · 1d

BREAKING

In a new video, Dolly Parton, the Queen of America, says she’s going to be ok.

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Reposted by Jess Nevins

Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 1d

Yesterday the Supreme Court saw arguments for reversing bans on conversion therapy. @veraeikon.bsky.social brings us the real statistics of this deeply harmful practice.

The Unscientific Nonsense of Conversion Therapy — Assigned

Conversion therapy is not only ineffective at its purported goal, but also only serves to amplify psychological distress.

www.assignedmedia.org

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Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 1d

I have been accidentally flashed a few times, and it always feels mortifying.

Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 1d

Me, shaking my head, eyes fixed on the screen: "Mmm-hmm"

Patron, more insistently: "See?"

Me, shaking my head violently, not daring to look anywhere except at the screen: "No."

"You need to see it to know what I want!"

"No!"

"LOOK!"

"No! I--I need to go!"

And I hid in the men's room.

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Jess Nevins @jessnevins.bsky.social · 1d

Sometimes things get all slapsticky up here in this bitch.

Patron (an elderly woman): "I need a book on carpal tunnel syndrome because I have this cyst on my finger see?"

Me, head rigid, eyes looking only at the screen: "Mmm-hmm."

Patron: "See?" [and I can feel her gesturing at me]

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