Sometimes I get dragged into dumb conversations on Reddit. It is genuinely perplexing to me that there are people who think women who are doctors cannot ever be misogynistic. My experience of OB/GYN docs suggests otherwise. I was told that saying this is saying “gender doesn’t matter.”

This display of a mine troll’s treasures is at a mining museum in Finland. The exhibits included tons of clear didactics that explained history & technology as well as several whimsical areas dedicated to the resident troll. This strikes me as just absolutely Finnish.

Attended a zine-making workshop at NAAS 2025. We sat in companionable silence, listening to music, coloring, cutting, and pasting. It was a fun, relaxing, and refreshing way to think through the material I was presenting the next day. Definitely going to use this in the classroom #NAASpirations

Forgive the wonky picture. This lil guy at the National Museum in Stockholm is a wax portrait. Wax portraiture was much more common than you might think and it’s my current research obsession. Sadly there was no label on the case for this so I have no idea who he was.

I really don’t understand why so many people want to see democracy in the US destroyed. I understand that self interest drives the billionaire class towards oligarchy. But honestly Joe the Plumber isn’t going to benefit from the destruction of all our civic institutions.

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Gentle reminder that the daily propaganda mouthpiece of the CCCP was called Pravda- aka Truth. The fact that Trump calls his daily screed factory “Truth” could not point to a more obvious conclusion.

Look. The President could issue an executive order that the moon is made of green cheese. That doesn’t mean the moon is now made of green cheese. Can we stop acting like it does?

I’m convinced that the Constitutional crisis began ye instant that DOGE became a thing. We’ve been in crisis for months.

Still, he lasted several Scaramuccis longer than he should have

WIP update: the neck construction on this “pirate” shirt was clever and fun to work up. All that’s left are the side seams…pray for me. #knitting #knitsky

Serious question: what if the reason the Trump admin “can’t find” the dad they deported by accident is a stalling tactic because he was killed in custody and they don’t want that to get out?

The stock market is fueled partly by emotion. Add to that market manipulation bad things happen. I hate that my retirement is so dependent on an entity that is so deeply irrational. Never forget, market speculation made some tulip bulbs more expensive than a house. Short 🧵

Trump is bragging about bringing back coal mining as if coal mining jobs aren’t actually terrible. The children yearn for the mines, I guess.

We need to stop calling it “generative” AI. AI is not creative. It’s not capable of real analysis. It aggregates data, sort of like a calculator. It can perform some sophisticated functions. But on its own it cannot create. That’s why prompt engineering is a thing.

Assuming that the US system survives this administration, there needs to be some serious reinforcement of checks & balances and a reigning in of executive branch powers that have been steadily expanding since Nixon.

I still cannot understand why this nation has flung itself off a cliff.

At the site of one of young Rembrandt’s schools, you can pose in the window for an auto-generated portrait sketch. Leiden’s museums and historic sites use technology in really clever and engaging ways.

Booker’s speech is not merely performative. He speaks truth about what’s happening, and that is now part of the Congressional Record. It is history. This matters.

I’m heartened by the filibuster going on right now, thank you @booker.senate.gov Finally, @senatedemocrats.bsky.social seem to be waking up. More of this please

Inside an antique shop in Leiden, a repurposed house with clear early modern origins. So many old paintings & religious statues. A happy accident I stumbled into today

Watching the press secretary live and I feel personally gas lighted. Good grief.

I’m at the European Social Science History conference in beautiful Leiden. The program has “conference bingo” on the last page. 🤣

Today I learned there are a couple of runic inscriptions graffitied inside Hagia Sophia in Turkey. Basically they say “Halfdan was here.” Why this is so cheering, I don’t know.

I don’t know anymore. When people are cheering for libraries and museums to be defunded, it feels like society has reached a dangerous level of incivility. I’ve removed more ‘friends’ from my social media in the last 6 weeks than I did during Drumpf’s first term.

It’s nice to see bands I’ve actually paid money to see in person are on the right side of history. Looking at you @thebandcake.bsky.social and @dropkickmurphys.com

Honestly it feels a lot like the stupid dicks who bullied me in elementary school for being in the “gifted and talented” program are at the White House. Like sorry you couldn’t read at grade level back then. (Or now.) Maybe try therapy. And tutoring.

The anti science stuff is just so crazy to me. It seems rooted in things like “energy conservation is bad for business.” But when my uni cut jobs 5 years ago they told us “businesses gave to pivot. The railroads lost out because they thought they were in the railroad business, but akshuslly 🧵

It’s kinda crazy to get texts alleging to be from my state’s department of transportation that start with a different country’s country code.

The DNC texted me just now from a number I hadn’t blocked yet. Listen to me carefully @senatedem.bsky.social and @housedemocrats.bsky.social : if you can’t get it together to vote to block what’s happening unanimously, I cannot afford to give you money

Elon Musk is doing for government efficiency what Stockton Rush did for deep sea submersible design

John Fetterman, jag off

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to watch supremely unqualified and stupid people in positions of power swan around like they’re accomplishing something. Usually the territory they control and wreck is limited to one organization however.

Talking to the few MAGA people I encounter feels like this Me: hey, friend, your house is on fire MAGA: shut up libtard! Go cry about it!

Blocked another Facebook “weak tie” - a former neighbor. MAGA thinking has made some people so toxic that it’s impossible to maintain community with them. I hope this guy wakes up. Maybe when his special needs adult daughter is shipped off to a camp.

Fun fact: I deleted Reddit off my phone for Lent (and to take a break from doomscrolling). Told people on my local sub last month that D-bag and fElon would tank their 401Ks in 6 weeks. It’s only been 4. Wondering if any of the “shut up libtard” responders are rethinking their position?

If you’re on Xitter for your sports team, the best thing you can do is tell them you’re leaving for Bluesky (or whatever). Market pressure built the use of Twitter. It can strangle X. I left in 2020 and my blood pressure has benefited greatly

Reading books & learning history started as escapism when I was a kid with a SAHM who was perpetually angry & who took out her frustrations on me. Having experience of abuse also helped me learn early on not to take authority at face value. Quite a setup to becoming a professional historian.

I’m intrigued and maybe perplexed by a Reddit conversation with someone who insists that MDs are working class because they work hard. I am not familiar with that definition of working class. Can someone enlighten me?

The older I get, the clearer it is to me that a lot of people are supremely high on their own farts. The higher they are, the more likely they are to be in positions with power over others. And to think they deserve to lord it over others.

The Kennedy Center posted a list of cancellations so far, which I pulled off Reddit. This is good. A message is being sent to the unqualified stooges put in place to be cultural goons and host acts like the J6 Choir of traitors. You are not legit.

@housedemocrats.bsky.social @senatedem.bsky.social I’m done with the Democratic Party after the epic failure of leadership that resulted in any democrats voting to censure Green. Not a single dime more. Lose my number. I’ve blocked your emails. Shameful.

In my limited current conversation with MAGA people, they seem to really believe that politics is like watching Real Housewives. To them political affiliation is like fandom. They have a hard time grasping that criticism of White House policies is about the policies.

I am once again announcing how much I love being able to award digital stickers for online assignments.

It feel weird to correct a student when they write “under slavery in the 1920’s” because Jim Crow was pretty bad. Technically not slavery though so out comes my red pen.

Mark Rothko, Yellow and Blue, 1954 Has been sold several times for tens of millions of dollars, and for a time was in the collection of a notorious mobster/thug in Hong Kong. Said thug used the sale and purchase of art like this to launder money.

Students often write that a film from ten years ago “can still be relevant today.” When you’re young 10 years seems like a lot. When you’re a historian and over 50, ten years is nothing. Also people don’t change. We are not any smarter than 500 years ago, or 5,000. Just have more tools.

Talking about Land Art in class today. Walter deMaria’s lightning field is on my life list to be seen someday, although generally I prefer city life to nature

Very happy with this WIP. Book was a $4 bargain at Ollie’s, yarn was a close out at Big Lots. My cheapskate tendencies collided in a happy way for this one. #knitsky #knitting #WIP