Notices by myrmepropagandist (futurebird@sauropods.win), page 4

If you have needed to become politically disengaged (and if it possible for you to do such a thing) please consider either continuing or *starting* to support left political content creators financially.

Their view counts are down. Blogs, channels, podcasts could go under and we will need them later.

If YOU need to pull back fine, but don't pull back your support too.

Also continue (or START) supporting people you know running local nonprofits.

I guess I'm a little negative on the whole "there are no stupid questions" ethos since asking the right question is a undervalued skill.

A really remarkable question can do more than the most excellent of answers. Questions are important and it's worth thinking about if the ones you are asking are good or not.

I do support the effort to get people over the hump of simply admitting they have questions, that they do not know everything. But, let us go further.

Consider Paul Erdős!

My very hottest take of all is that, yes, Dorthy there *are* such things as "stupid questions."

(Although they are very very rare and almost never the kind of question people feel compelled to preface with "this might be a stupid question ... but ...")

@barry

Hey Barry. I think it's really important to distinguish between "educated" and "smart" they aren't identical and there is yet one other thing: "being well informed" that is also distinct.

I've been a teacher for a long time. I'm very good at it. (And not modest.) You cannot people to learn by telling them they are stupid. It might *seem* like it ought to do ... something but it backfires.

"You're smart enough to know you need to know more." can work. But also really caring works.

@ireneista @jannem @jrconlin

For example when inviting people to sign a group holiday card for someone you can say "don't forget to bring your wax seal, I will bring the ribbon." to the other people and when they say they don't have one say "It's OK I have a blank you can use."

@ireneista @jannem @jrconlin

You have got it aaaaallll backwards. Make the seal then walk around threatening to use it and the chances will come!

@jannem @jrconlin

Aw but it's so quaint and pretty. Well I can see that... but, I love the idea of having more fiddly stationary things to do.

But then I designed myself a wax seal which I'm always looking for excuses to use. They wouldn't let my put it on my marriage certificate. **mocking voice*** "because then we'd need to store it in a booooox" Still mad. (I know I'm being a little unreasonable)

TEN THOUSAND min order... lordy lordy.

In case anyone else is inspired by this odd idea...

https://www.jhsationery.com/correction-tape/

So, I really really need a series of these micro sticker tape things, but they do different species of ants. (and you could have one for beetles and wasps and stuff too I suppose)

I wonder what one would need to do to design such a product and get it made...

I bet it'd only be a few thousand to get a run of them produced. Maybe even less. And then I'd only need to sell some of them to cover the costs... hmmmm

* This is what you get for abandoning Biden.
* This is what you get for not standing up to Bibi
* This is what you get because how generally bad Biden was.
* This is what you get for being too left and not hating trans people
* This is what you get for not having a more populist left economic agenda.

Some of these takes are terrible. Some are tempting. But, I don't honestly know if this is down do any single obvious 'error.' It seems like something much deeper.

Since young people generally no longer learn cursive... and maybe this is a stupid question but... how do they get a signature?

@EverydayMoggie

I suppose it's fine.

@jayalane @EverydayMoggie

Few people realize how crazy math is about symbols and hand writing.

For example if your write your Xs so they look like the cross product symbol. Please do not. 'a' is NOT the same letter as 'A' it's really crazy and often glossed over harming students.

Mathematics is soothing it never changes overnight. Why not derive the least squares method of linear regression? or just the quadratic formula from completing the square? Pick something old and hazy but well worn.

Math therapy works.

Someone said “good morning” to me at the bus stop and before thinking about it I said “no it’s not. It is objectively *not* a good morning.”

I regretted this instantly all the bus stop regulars already think I’m a strange little nerd. Now they will think (know?) I’m a weirdly politically obsessed strange little nerd.

But instead of the look 👀 of disapproval, hilariously everyone agreed.

“Bad morning!”
“BAD morning!”

I need your help and creativity.

You know how scratch off lottery tickets work? Did you know you can buy stickers that can turn anything into a “scratch off”? Well ever since I’ve discovered these stickers I’ve been desperate to find a way to use them in teaching grade school level CS. The idea of hidden keys, broken seals— I know there’s an angle here.

Am I just attracted to stickers? Yes. I have a few ideas but they aren’t good enough. I turn to the fedi to enable this sticker stuff.

nothing worse than coming home to cranky ants!

When you’re nervous it’s easy to forget basic things like having a coffee or your medicine. Then a day you expected to be bad goes bad for real. Hydrate and feed your ants!

It’s funny how everyone keeps looking more closely at the button I wear *every* day today because they think it might be political. (well it is political just not in the way one expects) this button is from the awesome poster art from the ant movie: Phase IV