I hadn't planned to talk about Havel's Power of the Powerless this early in the semester, but it seems like a good time, since Canada's PM invoked it so well in his speech yesterday.

"Careful, there may be ice on the road" - my car

Those who remember the past are like, yeah, I want somma that

Looking up the origin of the phrase "jump the shark" was one of the most gratifying things I have done so far this year. youtu.be/Cs9M1m-dpgM?...

I have not figured out what component of my plain pocketless stretchy traveling pants sometimes does and sometimes does not set off airport security.

A student just left office hours and wished me a good weekend & I said, thank you, you too, and then we both realized it's Tuesday.

Glass skin? In this economy?

Introducing the galaxy z trifold pre-installed with debauchery

Behold our glorious cover art! "Keeping Contact: Jewish Cultural Initiatives across Cold War Borders" Eds. @rkpejsova.bsky.social & @labendz.bsky.social (Purdue '26). Moshe Peter Shamah created this original artwork. The volume derived from two symposia, the last held at @chgs-ramapo.bsky.social.

Dr. Stanislav Pejša receives 2025 CLA Distinguished Dissertation Award at Purdue for "Determining People, Reordering Places. Visions of Transformations of the Postwar World, 1916-1920." See link for description!

Very cute typo spotted in the wild: "Unsergrads"- usage: preparing materials for Unsergrads.

#skystorians 🗃

Watch this space, friends, for upcoming information about the must-have forthcoming volume, _Keeping Contact: Jewish Cultural Initiatives across Cold War Borders_ (Purdue UP), edited by @labendz.bsky.social and myself.

That must be one helluva bag

To act to maintain your own dignity and the dignity of others is a core marker of a successful life.

This is amazing. We sure could do with this degree of attention to detail, to reality, and to innate dignity in a whole honking big suite of concerns.

The "focus" app in microsplat settings --> notifications really does help

Here I am Will you send me some zitsfleisch Here I am Editing

Just finished the final draft of my latest book chapter: "Haredi Geographies: Jewish Cemeteries in Poland and Czechoslovakia" It's for an edited volume that I'm putting together with @rkpejsova.bsky.social on Jewish contact across Cold War boundaries. (Purdue, forthcoming).

Belarus has released a group of political prisoners. Exiled Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s husband Siarhei is among the released. He was arrested in 2020 as the opposition presidential candidate. Afterwards his wife won the election, but the regime did not acknowledge this.

Just 28 to go to reach 5k. Surely there are more Barnard/Columbia College & University/Biz & Law school, etc., alums who'll join the 4972 who've already signed? 💙 www.columbiaalumniforacademicfreedom.org?link_id=4&ca...

It feels so bizarre in these times to go down into the basement for the duration of a tornado warning.

Tell uniqlo guy they're at Rector street

Reupping.

I live for mta alerts ⚠️ keep me grounded in reality no matter where I am

Wordle for the political commentary win

#ASEEES friends! @rkpejsova.bsky.social & I are looking for a 3rd panelist to present on State Security (organs) in global perspective. We approach the Cold War as a single system that operated upon the construct of a divided world.

#aseees people: @labendz.bsky.social Jacob Labendz and I are looking to put together a panel on Postwar state security in a global perspective, with or without Jews as the focus. Please send either of us a message if you are interested!

I'm finally getting started with Tropy. Any hints?🗃

So, I've meticulously set up the brightspace pages for my courses. Now what happens?

From the clubs to the Walkman to the supermarket to pound class, Nirvana still revving it up for me after all these years

Hi! Hanukah only ended 8 days ago!

Deadline for 1st Central European History Convention (CEH-C, Vienna, July 17-19) is Jan 31. No registration necessary, heavily subsidized housing, + more subsidies available for those who need it. Keynote: Tara Zahra; several panels dedicated to work of Pieter Judson Apply! ceh-c.univie.ac.at

If you cant afford art, or cant draw or whatever yourself, USE PUBLIC DOMAIN IMAGES NOT AI.

"I don't want any part of a cookie that accepts me" - Groucho Marx

Started out the day shedding some shpilkes on the elliptical

The older I get/ the more experiences I have, the better I understand the human beings in the documents.

Together with Susanne Korbel from @uni Graz, we’re looking to find contributions to the history of #sharedliving in ECE/SEE, 18th-20th centuries for a special issue. More info here (www.hsozkult.de/event/id/eve...) and on H-Habsburg. Something for #skystorians #socialhistory

Tim Olin (Central College, Purdue History Ph.D.) has an outstanding book on the Banat of Temesvár coming out with Stanford UP shortly! ✨️ Discount code on flyer. #veryHabsburg #ECE #aseees 🗃

Oh no, it's 2025, and I've completed a 3-day Wordle streak as a newbie Wordle person.

I love reconnecting with friends from the revving up stage of the journey.

The future is called and said of 2025

I add to and cross off tasks from elaborate 3-columned to-do lists, which I refresh regularly.

"Failed Passport Photos: A Series, 1990s-2000s"

Ready for some shore leave on Risa 🙋‍♀️

Second Wawa sighting confirmed in Lafayette, Indiana. 🛸

Welp, it's...⏱️ less than 24 hours into the official end of the semester, and I've set up my recurring calendar items for next semester.

SO VERY EXCITED to share this NEH Summer Institute website on Jewish print culture!! #nehgrant @nehgov.bsky.social @barbaramann.bsky.social #bookhistory 📜 artsci.case.edu/neh/