Dr. Blair Stein

@blairstein

Historian of technologies, environments, and modernities. Teaching history of science and technology, researching the modern envirotechnical nation. Book about Air Canada coming soon!

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Bluesky

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Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· 6d

my dad brought that mystery key into his marriage to my mom and moved it between junk drawers in, like, four cities and three provinces. Plus, we live in different countries so it took a deliberate effort to bring me the keys.

A cool old microscope sits on the floor in front of a light-colored wooden box.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· 23d

Ruby and Slugger could be long-lost cousins!

Slugger, a black and white miniature poodle, is lying on his back on a navy blue bedspread.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Jul 1

Since it’s Canada Day, here’s one more: an early 1980s TTC advertising poster for the Globe and Mail science section. My parents needed to decorate their first apartment in Toronto and got this somehow. I’m a historian of Canadian science, tech, and media so I’m so happy they kept it.

A framed poster. It’s grey and features a line drawing of Isaac Newton, with that quote about him standing on the shoulders of giants. Underneath it says “It’s not just how you say it, it’s what you say. Globe Science says it.” with the Globe and Mail masthead.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Jun 20

I mean

A still from the TV show Futurama. A cartoon lobster-alien has disguised himself as a human by wearing a wig, glasses, and a fake mustache and has covered his claws with oven mitts. He’s wearing a red military-style uniform and saluting.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Jun 10

someone got his summer haircut yesterday

Slugger, a black and white miniature poodle, is sitting on the carpet. He’s wearing a colorful bandana around his neck. His hair has been recently shaved down pretty short except for his ears, which are fluffed out to maximum horizontality.

Slugger is lying on a round brown dog bed. He’s stolen my white sneaker and is cradling it possessively. From this angle you can really see how little hair he has left.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Jun 1

Here’s the TCA president asking his secretary “do we know who this ape is?” of a guy upset that his stewardess had a British accent—“Canada is *not* British!!! You *are* a square!”—and the response when she forwarded the message to the public relations department.

A handwritten letter. At the top there’s a note in a different hand that reads “BB do we know who this ape is? GM”

A memo on Trans-Canada Air Lines stationery to Miss Buchanan from Public Relations, dated June 16 1958. It says “We do not know who this ape is either.”

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Jun 1

Now this, my friends, is an a finding aid that makes you want to see what the hell is in that box.

A screenshot of an archival finding aid. The folders listed are, in order, “Gold shipments”; “crank letters”; “sabotage.”

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· May 31

Lazy Sunday mornings with Slugger: a story in three acts

Slugger, a black and white miniature poodle, is sitting on a navy floral bedspread. A person’s arm is at the bottom of the frame and he he has rested his paw on her hand as if to say “why aren’t you using this hand to pet me?”

Slugger has laid down and is facing away from the camera, but his paw is still on the person’s arm. This is as close as he gets to snuggling.

Slugger is fully relaxed now, lying on his back with his little paws up in the air. He’s nestled his head against the person’s arm.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· May 27

I’m at the archives this week filling in some gaps in my book ms and you should see this ad showing all the kinds of asbestos they used in building the Dorval airport (Montreal Star, 11/26/1960)

An ad for the Atlas Asbestos company showing all the uses of asbestos in the Dorval airport. Best of all, the tagline is “BUILT FOR A MODERN AGE”

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· May 26

The Kranzberg Papacy

a screenshot of the meme posted by the previous poster. I’ve highlighted the section that says “IA is not neutral, it reflects values and choices”

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Apr 20

A still from the Star Trek TNG episode “Masks.” Data is sitting in a chair wearing a vaguely meso-American styled mask. Behind him is a sun-face motif that looks suspiciously like the image shared in the quoted tweet.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Apr 3

I read this in undergrad and it blew my mind that this sort of stuff **could even have a history**

The cover of “The Body Project” by Joan Jacobs Brumberg

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Apr 2

Slugger found the afikomen this year, apparently

Slugger, a black and white miniature poodle, can’t wait to get a small piece of matzoh. A white woman’s hand is in the bottom left of the frame handing it to him. His eyes are wide with excitement and you can see he’s laser-focused on grabbing the matzoh.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Mar 30

Presented without further comment (also, I **knew** the second pup would become a permanent resident)

Slugger, a black and white miniature poodle, has decided that the exact middle of the Queen-sized bed is the perfect place for a nap. The bed has a beige striped duvet on it. Slugger is lying on his back, paws up, back legs splayed open.

He’s tiny but has chosen to position himself in such a way as no human could possibly also lie in the bed.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Mar 21

tbh I just added you to that particular lesson this semester, so I don’t have the slideshow saved in my archived dropbox on my phone. But I DO have yours from “disability week” in my history of technology survey (“sepoy” is in yellow because it’s a key term for the lesson)

A screenshot of a PowerPoint slide. On the bottom right is a picture of Aparna. On the top right is a black and white image of some sepoys carrying a wounded soldier on a stretcher. On the top left is a purple speech bubble with a quote from an article.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Mar 21

Here you go! I use phrenology (because of course I do!) as an example of a science that is contextual and contingent. I find that doing this helps students understand where my information comes from, it’s good citational politics, AND it shows them the diversity of people who study this stuff.

A screenshot of a PowerPoint slide. There’s a picture of a woman in the bottom left, and the cover for the the book “An Organ of Murder” by Courtney Thompson on the right. In the middle is a blue speech bubble with a quote from the book.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Mar 10

god forbid a gal have a little fun writing about early 20th century Canadian winter culture

the text is supposed to read "...represented a cold-weather Canadian past; as the heir to the coureurs des bois, in his boots with the fur, his image hearkened back..." but the track-changes on the word document shows that a reviewer has replaced "boots with the fur" with "fur-lined boots."

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Mar 7

Gonna tell my kids this was Heated Rivalry. S7E16. Briscoe and Curtis are in LA working on the film exec murder. Rather than sleep with Lauren Graham’s character, Curtis crashes on the couch in Briscoe’s hotel room. The Law & Order people knew what they were doing with this.

A photo of my TV screen, a still from Law & Order. Lennie Briscoe, played by Jerry Orbach, is talking to Rey Curtis, played by Benjamin Brant. Briscoe is much older and less muscular than Curtis, who in this screenshot is wearing a white tank top and unbuckling his belt to get ready for bed. The closed-captioning says “Come on, I’m not gonna take advantage of the situation.”

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Feb 26

Slugger likes to take his midmorning nap in the warmth of a sunbeam, and nothing will get in his way.

Slugger, a black and white miniature poodle, has curled up in a suitcase because it’s in the direct path of a bright, warm sunbeam.

Slugger, a black and white miniature poodle, in close-up lying in a suitcase. Honestly, he doesn’t look that comfortable, but one must make sacrifices to nap in the sunbeam.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Feb 25

S7E14. I have two more words for you. Elaine. Stritch. As a lover of 30 Rock (and Elaine Stritch) it’s fun to listen to her say things to McCoy like “listen, Jack, I’m going to kick your backside in that courtroom.” (she’s representing a suburban mom-turned-sex worker played by Felicity Huffman)

A photo of my TV showing a Law & Order episode from the 1990s. Elaine Stritch is playing a lawyer representing a suburban mom played by Felicity Huffman.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Feb 16

hashtag history professor problems

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Feb 11

My niece (2 1/4 yo) has this picture book of dog opposites that she loves. Big dog/small dog. Etc. She especially loves the “long dog/short dog” page. For a while she slept with it open to the “long dog” page in her crib. So I made her this. It’s 5.5 feet long. The longest long dog.

An overhead picture of a huge crocheted blanket on a carpeted floor. It’s grey with red and rainbow trim and has a long orange cartoon dachshund and the words “LONG DOG” on it.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Feb 4

This is the annual birthday biscuit photoshoot.

Slugger’s first birthday. He’s sitting on the kitchen floor looking expectantly at the biscuit held at the top of the frame.

Slugger’s third birthday. Same pose, but this time I managed to wrestle a blue and black checkered party hat on him.

Romeo’s 12th birthday (2019). He’s a tricolored smooth collie who in this picture has gone very white-haired. His perfect long snoot is sniffing at a birthday cookie—this one shaped like an ice cream cone.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Feb 4

Slugger turns 5 today. This is a public service announcement that he is perfect and a good boy.

Slugger, a black and white miniature poodle, sits on the kitchen floor. He’s wearing a red buffalo check bandanna that says “birthday boy” and staring intently at a cookie that his person is holding at the top of the frame. It’s a bone-shaped dog biscuit that has frosting and sprinkles on it.

He’s a very patient and good boy.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Jan 28

oh I spoke too soon it turns a little ham-fisted…Briscoe relapses and Claire DIES instead let’s time travel back to S6E22 where I have only two words for you: Patti. Lupone.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Jan 16

Here are some pictures of Slugger my mom sent me yesterday. I thought you might need them

Slugger, a black and white miniature poodle, sits alertly on a rug next to his round brown bed. He’s just been groomed so his ears are fluffed out to the side.

Slugger, a black and white miniature poodle, sits alertly on a rug next to his round brown bed. It’s taken with a sort of fish-eye effect so his snout is exaggerated. His ears are tucked back.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Dec 26

🚨 RED ALERT 🚨 literally today the kennel did a Christmas photoshoot with the dogs here’s Slugger’s

Slugger, a black and white miniature poodle, sits alertly on a grey carpet with a festive red backdrop behind him. He’s wearing a fleecy reindeer costume.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Dec 26

my dad (a man) was very reluctant to get a small dog, especially the poodle my mom wanted. A convo they had at my house yesterday (Slugger is at a kennel that posts regular pics to their socials): Mom: Do you want to see some new pictures? Dad: Of [grandchild] or Slugger? M: Slugger. D: Oooooh!!!!!

Slugger, a black and white miniature poodle with fluffy ears, is standing outside in the snow. It’s one of the pictures the kennel uploaded to their social media account that my dad was excited to see.

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Dec 17

I’m afraid to try with real raw fiber so for now I’m practicing by plying reclaimed wool from unraveled sweaters that don’t fit any more. I made this!

My hand holding a bobbin with a brown and beige yarn on it

Dr. Blair Stein@blairstein· Dec 17

the 3d-printed e-spinner I asked for for the holidays arrived yesterday so prepare for me to be absolutely INSUFFERABLE with a new hobby