cass hartblay (she/they)

Long live Fishy Rock Meow.

Subsequent attempts are ignored completely. Child refuses concept of giving a name to another being. The fish simply is.

Ask again later. “What’s the fishy’s name?” “Meow?” (Similar question structure to animal noises). But fish is not a cat, we explain it’s a different question, he’s not convinced.

Silver-ish betta fish with red feathery fins in a tank with black background and gravel, a potted plant sits on a shelf nearby

Got our almost-2-yo a betta fish. He’s very excited about Fishy. Tried to explain the concept of a name (his name is ___, dog’s name is Arlo, etc). Seemed fine. What is fish’s name? He tries. “Rock?” (Fish likes/has rocks/gravel). We affirm, but he refuses to validate the choice.

on cover art How does one choose an image for an ethnographic monograph? And how did this one come to be? The cover for Access Vernaculars features a painting by artist Andrei Roiter, with text design by Cornel…

While it’s true one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, I’m wholly enamoured with the cover art for my new book. It looks phenomenal.

Read about the artwork that begat the cover design here: cassandrahartblay.net/2025/10/21/o...

Looking forward to the inevitable bombshell report exposing exactly how many university administrators took bribes from edtech AI companies

Screenshot of homepage of Cassandra’s website with a photo of her holding a cup of tea and looking at the camera, and text describing her work.

In honor of my book coming out next week, I got some new professional photos taken and spiffed up my website. Hard to believe that the previous version, up since 2014, was more than 10 years old!!

Please note that in an earlier post the date was wrong. It is Tuesday the 14th, NOT Wed the 15th.

Join me next Tuesday for a virtual book launch event for my new book, Access Vernaculars.

Hosted by the Society for Disability Studies.

With discussants Raquel Velho and @xcherkaev.bsky.social, and organized by @mw-m.bsky.social !

Get the book at @cornellupress.bsky.social

Sorry, the 14th. I’m going to delete this post and try again :) thanks for noticing.

And organized by the @mw-m.bsky.social 🙌

With Raquel Velho and @xcherkaev.bsky.social as discussants!

It was the omg of times, it was the Jfc of times

Last week at @4sweb, I got the honour of being on a on Disability Access, Infrastructure, & Technoableism panel w/ @chartblay.bsky.social , @ashleyshoo.bsky.social, & Raquel Velho, learning from & speaking w/ them & @disabilitystor1.bsky.social & @besswww.bsky.social, as commenters & interlocutors…

Canada treating MAID like a pressure release valve will never not horrify me. The cold cruelties of a system that exists to repeatedly communicate the message to disabled people that they are disposable, and more efficient at dispensing death than it is at care.

I understand. Apologies for overstepping and thanks for taking the time to explain …

Could be that someone made an error in the calendar software that generated the message? Worth politely checking that wasn’t the case

Framed Photo of Linda Cardellini as Velma in Scooby Doo 2

My 1.5 yo child pointed at this photo in a coffeeshop and said, “mama!”

So now I know what movie I’m watching next time I can stay awake

It’s slave labor. The goal of the whole tariff grift is a new global chattel slavery order. 🤬

love to get letters from the government asking if i’m jewish

Among the most offensive things about technocultic rhetoric around so much (AI, robotics, and more) is how easily (often-abled) techbros of all levels deploy disability and disabled people as a cover for whatever asinine/BS claim they make to investors, journos or VCs.

So my guess is that trifold letter envelopes exist because the people who started using envelopes had previously used wax seals.

Signed, someone who uses techniques from past technologies in the present

@dearhankandjohn.bsky.social @johngreensbluesky.bsky.social @hankgreen.bsky.social
#envelopes

I feel like this is all about the way that people keep doing things one way after the reason for it ends. A vestigial fold, if you will.

Old correspondence was scrolls. Then paper sealed with wax. A trifold makes a lot of sense for a wax seal.

In the latest episode of @dearhankandjohn.bsky.social someone wondered how and why envelopes fit trifolded paper, asking wouldn’t it be easier to just fold the paper in half.

Guesses abounded but I’m still stuck on one that John & Hank missed (and surely a historian on here will set us straight)

roses are red
carnations are white

United Nations report recommends Canada repeal MAID for people without terminal illnesses International committee also called on Ottawa to scrap the proposed expansion of MAID eligibility in 2027 to people whose sole underlying illness is a mental disorder

Canadian disability advocates’ critiques of MAID (Canada’s medical assistance in dying policy) backed by new UN report.

www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

This course sounds amazing! What an honor to be included!

This is the wildest story I have literally ever read. In any normal circumstances, a half-dozen senior officials would be forced to resign over this—starting with the National Security Advisor. And I doubt anyone will face any accountability at all.

I believe the firings and the AI have the same purpose: to get humans out of the loop of evaluating contracts. To automate the process of spending government money. To rig up a computer that sends taxpayer dollars directly to the broligarchy.