Google translate options of the day--for Japanese zoo catalog for Tokyo zoo. Eventually it settled on Penguin (Humboldt's Penguin) for the caption, but it went through 2 alternates: Penguin (even when you struggle you're still a penguin) and Penguin (when you stand firm you look like a penguin)

after a rather long travel day, I'm in Amsterdam, prepped for three days of intense archive work before returning home.

The kind of small moment I'm chasing this week in sixth-century writing: “It was winter time, so they lit a fire, warmed some wine and fell asleep after they had drunk it.”

Still using my ancient copy of Gregory's History of the Franks that I first read as an undergraduate. Layers of different readings all across the pages.

@aikerots.bsky.social has two new post-doc opportunities associated with his exciting interdisciplinary project on maritime goddesses: a historian of Chinese religion and a historian or anthropologist of Japanese religion. www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...

New idea: Buddy show about Gregory of Tours (Cumberbatch) and Venantius Fortunatus (Martin Freeman--why mess with a good pairing?) They get into hi-jinx caused alternately by Gregory spinning tall tales and Fortunatus trying to sing and flirt with nuns.

Gregory of Tours was a GOSSIP

Back from grading AP world history exams in Louisville--going to spend this week working on an upcoming conference talk on weather in early medieval Gaul: www.ru.nl/en/research/...

Check out my new article! It argues that the rise of continental drift should be understood within the context of the geopolitical shift that came from decolonization. lmk if you can't access! #histsci #STS www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Needing to post again--Ohio Wesleyan University is looking for an adjunct to teach two medieval history courses in the Fall: workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/defau...

If anyone would like to historcize the anti-data center env justice movement and its relationship to health for @nursingclio.bsky.social, please pitch! 🌿💪

Starting to come out of my post-semester rest and recuperation period by dipping my toes in the penguin project again. I read a recent book on penguins and searched through the ARTIS library holdings in prep for my upcoming visit.

Just booked an exploratory research trip to the Artis Library at Amsterdam. I'll spend three days penguin hunting in June!

Somehow managed to finish grades with minimal mistakes. Need a major reboot.

So much grading to do and no extension on grading deadlines following canvas outage.

So I know the instructure hacking is a very bad thing that highlights our dependence on software but right now I feel like I got a snow day!

My favorite time of my semester--watching all of my student food podcasts and cooking demo videos for their cookbook projects.

These monsters are trying to steal the future by trying to hobble the minds of America’s kids

This is a long shot, but Ohio Wesleyan's (Delaware, OH) history dept is looking for adjunct teachers for Fall 2026 to teach two in person classes: Introduction to medieval history and an upper level class on the Black Death. Please let me know if you might be interested!

in a very good mood

Two of my students chose this as their pop culture item of the week to connect to class themes. They did well! (That's turning out to be the most successful assignment from this experimental class)

at least it is nice enough to sit outside today while I grade

Today, the emperor penguin has moved from Near Threatened to Endangered on the @sscmarine.bsky.social IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 🛰️ Satellite images suggest that the population declined by 10% between 2009 and 2018 alone, equating to more than 20,000 adult penguins. Thread:

We are tiny. A handful of humans were 238,000 miles away from home, looked back, and beheld the world. We all need to pause, and look at the earth, and see that it is good.

The new lunar flyby photos need to spur us to reconsider how small, fragile, and finite our world is. Let them serve as a catalyst for new efforts at world peace (or at least deescalation of war) and for the survival of our beautiful, wonderful world.

I am not one of those who believes that history repeats, but consider the following from Herodotus: the Oracle at Delphi told the fabulously wealthy King Croesus that if he invaded Persia he would "destroy a great empire." Croesus invaded and lost--the empire he destroyed was his own.

#Artemis II - We have the first image from yesterdays Lunar flyby captured by the crew on Orion EARTHSET. April 6, 2026. Humanity, from the other side. First photo from the far side of the Moon. Captured from Orion as Earth dips beyond the lunar horizon. 🚀🌕🌍

From the experimental class trenches. This week's advanced skill was focused on improving reading. Task read daily for 15 mins. Student reflection "Reading a physical book in a quiet space felt more like an escape than an assignment, especially since I got to pick any book I wanted."

Heading back home after a really fantastic @aseh.bsky.social

Excited for the upcoming @aseh.bsky.social conference! It's in Kansas City. It's better than a magic lantern show!

I have a chapter in this volume: "Portable Penguins? On the History of Penguin Eggs"

Join us online on Monday 23 March for @brycchancarey.bsky.social discussing The Unnatural Trade: Slavery, Abolition, and Environmental Writing, 1650-1807 (Yale UP 2024) in @greenhouseuis.net #envhum book talk series. Starts 4pm CET, 3pm GMT, 10am EST newnatures.org/greenhouse/e... #ecocrit

Spring is the season of GERMINATION and we’re ready for new ideas to take root. 🌱 Submit your work now for our Spring issue! We’re looking for fresh perspectives and research that helps new conversations grow. Our spring deadline is March 31st for peer reviewed research. g-ehr.com/submit/

60 undergraduate writing responses on the Columbian Exchange and food history. Some of them really are excellent, but my eyes are crossing.

Update from experimental class--students do NOT read directions. It is frustrating. But I have noticed a shift in my feedback away from mechanics towards talking more about the medieval world. So that's a win.

I might actually have a problem. I'm sitting in panera working and they are playing an Adele song that I admittedly have not heard because I'm a cultural heathen, and I REALLY thought the line was “should I give up or should I just keep chasing penguins”

And William Dampier may be the first written account of Galapagos penguins, from a 1684 visit on the ship "Buccaneer's Delight".

About one week into my experimental class and the jury is definitely still out.

I have real sympathy for college students right now. It is so hard for me to focus on grading and class prep with *everything* right now. But onward we must, somehow.

I have an essay on penguin eggs in this forthcoming book edited by @farsouthhistory.bsky.social and Ximena Senatore www.berghahnbooks.com/title/McCahe...

🎉 Huge news for BHL: The Field Museum is taking over the hosting of BHL’s website, servers & infrastructure, ensuring long-term stability and access for its 63+ million pages of open biodiversity literature. Learn more: blog.biodiversitylibrary.org/2026/02/tran... #BHLTransition #ILoveBHL 🌍 📚 🧪

Reviewing a book is one of the best and most fun service opportunities available! Check out the awesome books available from H-Environment! #envhist #envhum #envtech #conservation #sustainability #envjustice #ecocrit #envphil #plantstudies #animalstudies #nature docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Anyway, if you want more people being people but in a bad sense (I guess kind of like this), my podcast episode of @americanmedieval.bsky.social is up, I had the best time talking to Matt about my work: pca.st/c5go3lb1

I had a very exhausting but important week. Lots of academic hosting, which brings me joy but wears me out. So today I have stayed home to watch the Olympics, grade papers, and just be still.

MN you are heroes

Summer jobs: NASA History Internship. "The NASA History Office is offering internships at several NASA centers this summer. Be sure to submit your application before the deadline on February 27." 🔭 #History #HistSTM #STS #Internship

This is giving “Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane”

Had a very full week. Watching the Olympics now, rooting for my cousin Molly Solomon who is the executive producer for NBC's Olympic coverage: www.nytimes.com/athletic/701...

Abolish DHS. If you can imagine a world before Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, you can imagine a world without the Department of Homeland Security. My latest at @startribune.com. (gift link)