Justin Nystrom
@justinnystrom.bsky.social
Historian, Writer of Food & Systems. Entering my mad data scientist phase
Tumbling into the end of the semester. Student effort levels have never been lower, both in and out of class. Reading? Paying attention? Write one's own material? Some old-school analog pedagogies coming to 2026. Tough love, amigos.
December 5, 2025 at 3:55 AM
Tumbling into the end of the semester. Student effort levels have never been lower, both in and out of class. Reading? Paying attention? Write one's own material? Some old-school analog pedagogies coming to 2026. Tough love, amigos.
I think people believe Pyrex is more recent than it is, associating it with postwar culture. They are partly correct, except it is the First World War, not WW2. Libertyville Independent, December 16, 1920 #foodhistory #technology
November 23, 2025 at 5:31 PM
I think people believe Pyrex is more recent than it is, associating it with postwar culture. They are partly correct, except it is the First World War, not WW2. Libertyville Independent, December 16, 1920 #foodhistory #technology
That the Louvre jewels were stolen by the president of a strapped university with a high discount rate and a commitment to social justice is the hero arc we all need right now.
October 21, 2025 at 11:19 AM
That the Louvre jewels were stolen by the president of a strapped university with a high discount rate and a commitment to social justice is the hero arc we all need right now.
What started as a cursory search comparing the Slovenian potica vs the Hungarian bejgli yielded a cookbook "written" by someone named Barrett Williams (if that is even a real person) and "co-authored" by ChatGPT. He has dozens of books listed on Amazon, which cares nothing about wholesale plagiarism
October 19, 2025 at 2:04 PM
What started as a cursory search comparing the Slovenian potica vs the Hungarian bejgli yielded a cookbook "written" by someone named Barrett Williams (if that is even a real person) and "co-authored" by ChatGPT. He has dozens of books listed on Amazon, which cares nothing about wholesale plagiarism
At LAX. Gate next to the bar. Half the plane trying to get blasted before even leaving. This is not the kind of tourist we want but it is the kind we have. It is 6:16am
October 11, 2025 at 1:16 PM
At LAX. Gate next to the bar. Half the plane trying to get blasted before even leaving. This is not the kind of tourist we want but it is the kind we have. It is 6:16am
I decided that I might go ahead and get on an order list for the #Fujix100vi but I see the tariffs have now made them about $1800, so no thanks. Maybe I'll wait for Bell & Howell to start making cameras again lol
October 1, 2025 at 2:00 PM
I decided that I might go ahead and get on an order list for the #Fujix100vi but I see the tariffs have now made them about $1800, so no thanks. Maybe I'll wait for Bell & Howell to start making cameras again lol
Imagine how much time we could spend enjoying the beautiful if we weren’t constantly confronted by the ugly.
September 27, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Imagine how much time we could spend enjoying the beautiful if we weren’t constantly confronted by the ugly.
Is there a class action suit I can join for people who have involuntarily clawed their eyes out after accidentally seeing "amazing" and "historical" AI generated images on Facebook?
September 26, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Is there a class action suit I can join for people who have involuntarily clawed their eyes out after accidentally seeing "amazing" and "historical" AI generated images on Facebook?
What is more, you should go to the Assessor's Website and take a hard look at property valuations, especially on commercial properties. Some of us get hosed, and some of us get sweetheart deals. Why do you suppose this is? (It has always been). We should all operate by the same rules.
Throwback Thursday to that time the incumbent forfeited $42M in commercial property without the Mayor or Council's approval.
September 25, 2025 at 2:03 PM
What is more, you should go to the Assessor's Website and take a hard look at property valuations, especially on commercial properties. Some of us get hosed, and some of us get sweetheart deals. Why do you suppose this is? (It has always been). We should all operate by the same rules.
September 22, 2025 at 3:09 PM
One of the great achievements of AI is that I now occasionally get email addressed to the person for whom my professorship is named, who hasn't taught at my university for 40 years and who died at age 93 in 2020.
September 10, 2025 at 5:37 PM
One of the great achievements of AI is that I now occasionally get email addressed to the person for whom my professorship is named, who hasn't taught at my university for 40 years and who died at age 93 in 2020.
One positive that I took away from this week was a Covid test, so there is that
August 29, 2025 at 11:24 PM
One positive that I took away from this week was a Covid test, so there is that
This still from the 1956 Czechoslovak adaptation of Jarasav Hašek's "The Good Soldier Švejk" is everything
August 7, 2025 at 9:37 PM
This still from the 1956 Czechoslovak adaptation of Jarasav Hašek's "The Good Soldier Švejk" is everything
As I read more and more 20c histories of Slavic people, I think back to being impressed by something in the '90s about the fate of Princip's footprints vis a vis the outpouring then being produced on commemoration, and now realize it's just a tiny drop in the bucket.
August 5, 2025 at 3:23 PM
As I read more and more 20c histories of Slavic people, I think back to being impressed by something in the '90s about the fate of Princip's footprints vis a vis the outpouring then being produced on commemoration, and now realize it's just a tiny drop in the bucket.
If you are an American historian, it's exciting news that @librarycongress.bsky.social's Chronicling America got a fancy new upgrade for searching as well as @zotero.org integration!
August 4, 2025 at 4:18 PM
If you are an American historian, it's exciting news that @librarycongress.bsky.social's Chronicling America got a fancy new upgrade for searching as well as @zotero.org integration!
Primaciálny palac, Bratislava. May, 2025. #portra160 #rolleiflex 2.8c
July 30, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Primaciálny palac, Bratislava. May, 2025. #portra160 #rolleiflex 2.8c
“Dubai Chocolate” St. Stephanplatz, Vienna #rolleiflex 2.8c #portra160 May 2025
July 27, 2025 at 1:30 PM
“Dubai Chocolate” St. Stephanplatz, Vienna #rolleiflex 2.8c #portra160 May 2025
Rush hour in Old Town Bratislava #Rolleiflex 2.8c on Portra160
July 15, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Rush hour in Old Town Bratislava #Rolleiflex 2.8c on Portra160
It just dawned on me that it's pronounced "shat-gpt" as in Le Chat Noir, except contextually, "it just shat out an answer to my prompt."
July 14, 2025 at 5:49 PM
It just dawned on me that it's pronounced "shat-gpt" as in Le Chat Noir, except contextually, "it just shat out an answer to my prompt."
I saw where Skip Gates got invited to the Vatican for "his" discoveries of the pope's genealogy. That show of his functions on the free labor of historians all over the country who are mistaken that it would be both thrilling and good for their career to act as his supporting cast.
July 14, 2025 at 3:05 PM
I saw where Skip Gates got invited to the Vatican for "his" discoveries of the pope's genealogy. That show of his functions on the free labor of historians all over the country who are mistaken that it would be both thrilling and good for their career to act as his supporting cast.
While "La Cucaracha" may or may not have been about Pancho Villa's car, driving around New Orleans you definitely understand why people make that association.
July 10, 2025 at 5:49 PM
While "La Cucaracha" may or may not have been about Pancho Villa's car, driving around New Orleans you definitely understand why people make that association.
I love how my writer spouse just texted me in the passive voice to let me know that the giant bag of Doritos from Costco "got opened" while I am gone.
July 7, 2025 at 8:29 PM
I love how my writer spouse just texted me in the passive voice to let me know that the giant bag of Doritos from Costco "got opened" while I am gone.
I haven't discussed Rosenthal's show with many food friends but what I enjoy most is his genuine curiosity and guileless willingness to enjoy, or even occasionally, to be afraid of things. Refreshing in a cynical world. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/02/d...
Somebody Explain Why Everybody Loves Phil Rosenthal
www.nytimes.com
July 5, 2025 at 3:33 PM
I haven't discussed Rosenthal's show with many food friends but what I enjoy most is his genuine curiosity and guileless willingness to enjoy, or even occasionally, to be afraid of things. Refreshing in a cynical world. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/02/d...
You can’t change what’s going on, but you can put some cardboard, soil, and seeds where there was once weeds and crabgrass and watch it unfold to everyone’s enjoyment
June 20, 2025 at 1:15 PM
You can’t change what’s going on, but you can put some cardboard, soil, and seeds where there was once weeds and crabgrass and watch it unfold to everyone’s enjoyment
An email from one of these "education" companies promising self-grading assignments. You know, I'm pretty sure this isn't the university experience our students want, and I'm certain it's not the one the parents think they are paying for.
June 18, 2025 at 6:28 PM
An email from one of these "education" companies promising self-grading assignments. You know, I'm pretty sure this isn't the university experience our students want, and I'm certain it's not the one the parents think they are paying for.