Tim Ruback
@profruback.bsky.social
IR theory / historical IR / Pedagogy / Maine / Dogs. Views=mine. Trying to practice kindness here. Also here to remind everyone that Thucydides never said that. But really mostly photos of the puppo.
https://sites.google.com/view/timrubackme/
https://sites.google.com/view/timrubackme/
Pinned
Tim Ruback
@profruback.bsky.social
· Nov 10
Here's a I posted on the old place about why IR scholars are so weird about Thucydides. Some folks seemed to find it useful when I posted it in 2020. so I'm re-creating it here before deleting the other acct. Here we go. Buckle up. I don't thread often, but when, I do I thread long.
Reposted by Tim Ruback
My colleagues Fawwaz Alabdulhadi, @jacktaggart.bsky.social I have a new article published (open access) in @ripejournal.bsky.social, "The petrochemical pivot: geostrategic globalization and the future of oil and gas". I hope you will find it informative. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
The petrochemical pivot: geostrategic globalization and the future of oil and gas
While demand for oil as an energy source is projected to decline, petrochemical demand is expected to grow significantly. Toward securing future profitability, oil and gas (O&G) firms are pivoting ...
www.tandfonline.com
September 17, 2026 at 1:58 PM
My colleagues Fawwaz Alabdulhadi, @jacktaggart.bsky.social I have a new article published (open access) in @ripejournal.bsky.social, "The petrochemical pivot: geostrategic globalization and the future of oil and gas". I hope you will find it informative. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Infinite universes means that there is a universe exactly like this one, except Bob Newhart was cast as the lead in Three Days of the Condor instead of Robert Redford. I'm just disappointed that I'm not living in that universe is what I'm saying.
September 13, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Infinite universes means that there is a universe exactly like this one, except Bob Newhart was cast as the lead in Three Days of the Condor instead of Robert Redford. I'm just disappointed that I'm not living in that universe is what I'm saying.
Reposted by Tim Ruback
I'm probably a dinosaur, but I wish students were allowed more time just to be students: to study, to read, to think, to talk to each other, to have big ideas - maybe even to have fun now & then.
I'm not convinced turning unis into training centres is going to fix bigger problems in the jobs market
I'm not convinced turning unis into training centres is going to fix bigger problems in the jobs market
September 10, 2026 at 1:00 PM
I'm probably a dinosaur, but I wish students were allowed more time just to be students: to study, to read, to think, to talk to each other, to have big ideas - maybe even to have fun now & then.
I'm not convinced turning unis into training centres is going to fix bigger problems in the jobs market
I'm not convinced turning unis into training centres is going to fix bigger problems in the jobs market
Aw, man, this loss sucks. I was particularly fond of Wendell Berry's short fiction.
September 1, 2026 at 7:52 PM
Aw, man, this loss sucks. I was particularly fond of Wendell Berry's short fiction.
IGO of Four
Bob Marley & the Whalers
Sly & the Family Hundredweight
The Jesus & Mary & Joseph Chain
Bob Marley & the Whalers
Sly & the Family Hundredweight
The Jesus & Mary & Joseph Chain
Make a band bigger:
Counting Murders
Counting Murders
Make a band bigger:
The Cure-All
The Cure-All
August 24, 2026 at 4:08 PM
IGO of Four
Bob Marley & the Whalers
Sly & the Family Hundredweight
The Jesus & Mary & Joseph Chain
Bob Marley & the Whalers
Sly & the Family Hundredweight
The Jesus & Mary & Joseph Chain
The closest I've come to being run over in a crosswalk was in Tempe AZ; the guy driving the car looked *exactly* like me. As i glared, he mouthed "sorry" Then kept pointing to me, pointing to his own face, & giving a double thumbs up. Must be exciting, narrowly missing running yourself over.
It’s important to hate your other selves from alternate universes. Once I was riding in a car and saw a guy who looked just like me so I stared him down and drew my finger across my throat so he’d know what’s what.
August 12, 2026 at 1:49 AM
The closest I've come to being run over in a crosswalk was in Tempe AZ; the guy driving the car looked *exactly* like me. As i glared, he mouthed "sorry" Then kept pointing to me, pointing to his own face, & giving a double thumbs up. Must be exciting, narrowly missing running yourself over.
I've been a grump about the Red Sox for several years now, but, OK, that was a fun game to watch.
August 7, 2026 at 3:39 AM
I've been a grump about the Red Sox for several years now, but, OK, that was a fun game to watch.
Probably something like this John Zorn record would be in my wheelhouse, but...
August 1, 2026 at 2:18 AM
Probably something like this John Zorn record would be in my wheelhouse, but...
Every now and again, you maybe start to feel like the world has lost its capacity to surprise you anymore. And then this truck pulls out in front of you during your morning commute.
July 30, 2026 at 2:37 PM
Every now and again, you maybe start to feel like the world has lost its capacity to surprise you anymore. And then this truck pulls out in front of you during your morning commute.
Since we're talking Christopher Nolan movies again:
Watching Oppenheimer, in the moment of pure silence before the Trinity test, when the woman behind us just barely whispers to herself "boom."
Perfection. The rest of you saw a significantly poorer movie, through no fault of your own.
Perfection. The rest of you saw a significantly poorer movie, through no fault of your own.
Raising the always fun question: What are your most memorable theater-going experiences?
Mine also include The Matrix, Blair Witch, and being way too stoned in Belgium when Fellowship of the Ring was sold out so we sat in the back row for Mulholland Drive instead.
Mine also include The Matrix, Blair Witch, and being way too stoned in Belgium when Fellowship of the Ring was sold out so we sat in the back row for Mulholland Drive instead.
July 29, 2026 at 2:25 PM
Since we're talking Christopher Nolan movies again:
Learning stuff is exhausting
July 20, 2026 at 10:20 PM
Learning stuff is exhausting
Grover gets frustrated very easily, which has made training a challenge sometimes. But the look on his face when things finally click and he's learned something new? Priceless
July 20, 2026 at 9:51 PM
Grover gets frustrated very easily, which has made training a challenge sometimes. But the look on his face when things finally click and he's learned something new? Priceless
Just had the most adorable little visitor at my office window this morning. An American Goldfinch, I think? He sat on the ledge peering in at me and chattering away for a couple minutes.
July 17, 2026 at 1:33 PM
Just had the most adorable little visitor at my office window this morning. An American Goldfinch, I think? He sat on the ledge peering in at me and chattering away for a couple minutes.
This year, in the knockout stage, the team with more Everton connections loses. Really, England never had a chance.
July 15, 2026 at 8:58 PM
This year, in the knockout stage, the team with more Everton connections loses. Really, England never had a chance.
Welp, that'll do it.
July 7, 2026 at 1:22 AM
Welp, that'll do it.
Robert Altman's It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
John Woo's On Golden Pond
Ingmar Bergman's The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
July 7, 2026 at 12:15 AM
Robert Altman's It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
Ingmar Bergman's The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
Denis Villeneuve’s Old School
Guillermo del Toro’s Toy Story
July 7, 2026 at 12:06 AM
Ingmar Bergman's The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
Reposted by Tim Ruback
The nice things about books: once you own them, you own them, forever. No one will be eye tracking your reading habits. No one will make money of you reading the book as many times as you'd like. And the very same book can be read by generations to come. It can last centuries, literally. It's great.
July 6, 2026 at 11:58 AM
The nice things about books: once you own them, you own them, forever. No one will be eye tracking your reading habits. No one will make money of you reading the book as many times as you'd like. And the very same book can be read by generations to come. It can last centuries, literally. It's great.
The first one was pretty. This one was just silly.
July 6, 2026 at 1:39 AM
The first one was pretty. This one was just silly.
Reposted by Tim Ruback
As @rogbennett puts it, Cape Verde is one of the most valiant performances in the history of the World Cup. The world will forever remember this team, this performance. Nothing but love and respect 🇨🇻
July 4, 2026 at 1:07 AM
As @rogbennett puts it, Cape Verde is one of the most valiant performances in the history of the World Cup. The world will forever remember this team, this performance. Nothing but love and respect 🇨🇻
Yet another reason I ♡ New Bedford
This is the best of who we are and what we represent. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
In the United States, Every World Cup Team Is a Home Team (Gift Article)
At block parties, backyards and beer halls, an expanded tournament gave immigrant diasporas large and small the chance to revel in support of their home countries.
www.nytimes.com
July 4, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Yet another reason I ♡ New Bedford
Reposted by Tim Ruback
I bet Argentina is out there like Apollo Creed in Rocky 1. “There ain’t gonna be no rematch.”
July 4, 2026 at 12:45 AM
I bet Argentina is out there like Apollo Creed in Rocky 1. “There ain’t gonna be no rematch.”