James Widman
@jameswidman.bsky.social
People are supposed to help each other. It's the only job worth doing, and we could probably do it a lot more efficiently.
he/him or they/them.
he/him or they/them.
TIL this viewpoint has dominated basic literacy education in the u.s. since the late 1980's:
![quote from near the end of the linked article:
> He [Ken Goodman] brought up the example of a child who comes to the word "horse" and says "pony" instead. His argument is that a child will still understand the meaning of the story because horse and pony are the same concept.
I pressed him on this. First of all, a pony isn't the same thing as a horse. Second, don't you want to make sure that when a child is learning to read, he understands that /p/ /o/ /n/ /y/ says "pony"? And different letters say "horse"?
He dismissed my question.
"The purpose is not to learn words," he said. "The purpose is to make sense."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:f7qgvss3n6aymjhrsofvfwao/bafkreihjewojd7pjlkyf3ebchmdou6zk6q4dfhbynj5audnlypyafykdxa@jpeg)
November 11, 2025 at 8:38 PM
TIL this viewpoint has dominated basic literacy education in the u.s. since the late 1980's:
Reposted by James Widman
uhhh this actually reminds me a lot of how LLMs function at a basic level too - predicting tokens based on proximity & context, etc 😬 ...so we're teaching kids to read like AI & saying AI level is good enough
November 11, 2025 at 6:25 PM
uhhh this actually reminds me a lot of how LLMs function at a basic level too - predicting tokens based on proximity & context, etc 😬 ...so we're teaching kids to read like AI & saying AI level is good enough
Reposted by James Widman
if you voted in Seattle you gotta make sure your ballot counted now
There are 1,700 ballots that need signature confirmation. That is enough to change the election.
Go. Check. Your. Ballot.
komonews.com/news/local/s...
Go. Check. Your. Ballot.
komonews.com/news/local/s...
November 11, 2025 at 6:29 PM
if you voted in Seattle you gotta make sure your ballot counted now
Reposted by James Widman
how did i go so long not knowing we were literally teaching people to read wrong. i knew something wasn't right but jesus christ www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers
For decades, schools have taught children the strategies of struggling readers, using a theory about reading that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked. And many teachers and parents don't kno...
www.apmreports.org
November 11, 2025 at 6:18 PM
how did i go so long not knowing we were literally teaching people to read wrong. i knew something wasn't right but jesus christ www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
Reposted by James Widman
where's the lie
November 11, 2025 at 4:54 PM
where's the lie
Reposted by James Widman
They're really having fun with it on tiktok.
November 3, 2025 at 6:57 AM
They're really having fun with it on tiktok.
Reposted by James Widman
This is brilliant
November 3, 2025 at 4:44 AM
This is brilliant
Reposted by James Widman
trying to fit on a protest sign: "the founders of american government were horrible people even by the standards of their time, and our misguided veneration of them has led to an insane deification of a constitution that needs an overhaul in order to fix major design problems that lead to fascism"
November 11, 2025 at 3:28 PM
trying to fit on a protest sign: "the founders of american government were horrible people even by the standards of their time, and our misguided veneration of them has led to an insane deification of a constitution that needs an overhaul in order to fix major design problems that lead to fascism"
Reposted by James Widman
we’re about to start seeing a lot of “here’s a cost effective meal your grandparents made during the great depression”
Japanese giant SoftBank said Tuesday it has sold its entire stake in tech giant Nvidia for $5.83 billion.
Click here to read more: https://cnb.cx/49LCIs8
Click here to read more: https://cnb.cx/49LCIs8
November 11, 2025 at 7:39 AM
we’re about to start seeing a lot of “here’s a cost effective meal your grandparents made during the great depression”
Reposted by James Widman
Mortal Kombat 1 has brutalities gentler than this
“whatever club he’s invited to join has been devalued by the invitation”
November 11, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Mortal Kombat 1 has brutalities gentler than this
Reposted by James Widman
So the US recently forced the Dutch to remove a memorial to America's own Black soldiers that died liberating the Netherlands from the nazis? On brand.
Towards the end of WW2, the French were shocked when the US refused to let its own Black soldiers join the celebration the liberation of Paris.
Towards the end of WW2, the French were shocked when the US refused to let its own Black soldiers join the celebration the liberation of Paris.
November 11, 2025 at 10:59 AM
So the US recently forced the Dutch to remove a memorial to America's own Black soldiers that died liberating the Netherlands from the nazis? On brand.
Towards the end of WW2, the French were shocked when the US refused to let its own Black soldiers join the celebration the liberation of Paris.
Towards the end of WW2, the French were shocked when the US refused to let its own Black soldiers join the celebration the liberation of Paris.
Reposted by James Widman
Phang: These firings were illegal in the first fucking place.
It’s like the Republicans are supposed to think that they’ve now done something right by not doing what is illegal in the first place.
It’s like the Republicans are supposed to think that they’ve now done something right by not doing what is illegal in the first place.
November 10, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Phang: These firings were illegal in the first fucking place.
It’s like the Republicans are supposed to think that they’ve now done something right by not doing what is illegal in the first place.
It’s like the Republicans are supposed to think that they’ve now done something right by not doing what is illegal in the first place.
Reposted by James Widman
Democrats Sick Of Being Blamed For Cowardice On Issues They Actually Just Don’t Care About
Democrats Sick Of Being Blamed For Cowardice On Issues They Actually Just Don’t Care About
WASHINGTON—Having thus far caved on eliminating the filibuster, advancing an adequate climate change agenda, and protecting voting rights, congressional Democrats told reporters Wednesday they were si...
theonion.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Democrats Sick Of Being Blamed For Cowardice On Issues They Actually Just Don’t Care About
Reposted by James Widman
"When your enemy is making one catastrophic mistake after another, interrupt them and save them from any consequences they might face."
–Schumer-Tzu
–Schumer-Tzu
November 10, 2025 at 4:45 PM
"When your enemy is making one catastrophic mistake after another, interrupt them and save them from any consequences they might face."
–Schumer-Tzu
–Schumer-Tzu
Reposted by James Widman
The Republicans never cared about monuments or "history", they only care about white supremacy. The reason they wanted to keep those shitty confederate statues up is because they are monuments to white supremacism
1/ The US Government has quietly removed a memorial to Black soldiers who died in World War II from the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, South Limburg. The move follows a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission. ⬇️
November 9, 2025 at 7:35 PM
The Republicans never cared about monuments or "history", they only care about white supremacy. The reason they wanted to keep those shitty confederate statues up is because they are monuments to white supremacism
Reposted by James Widman
It was harder getting endorsements for Zohran Mamdani from Democrats than them caving to Republicans to mutually strip us of healthcare
November 10, 2025 at 3:06 AM
It was harder getting endorsements for Zohran Mamdani from Democrats than them caving to Republicans to mutually strip us of healthcare
Reposted by James Widman
yes 100% this. when you stop viewing it as harm reduction and instead view it (accurately) as harm displacement, the prospect of supporting these clowns is a lot less convincing.
it’s always been “who’s getting harmed instead.”
it’s always been “who’s getting harmed instead.”
What is the argument for voting for Democrats for harm reduction if the harm is not fucking reduced
November 10, 2025 at 6:24 AM
yes 100% this. when you stop viewing it as harm reduction and instead view it (accurately) as harm displacement, the prospect of supporting these clowns is a lot less convincing.
it’s always been “who’s getting harmed instead.”
it’s always been “who’s getting harmed instead.”
Reposted by James Widman
I’ve been voting since I could. I’ve never seen it reduce harm in any meaningful way because the system is not designed for our wellbeing. Voting for a lesser evil as the thing I have to do on the regular to keep people safe is not acceptable to me. I demand better for us.
November 10, 2025 at 4:52 AM
I’ve been voting since I could. I’ve never seen it reduce harm in any meaningful way because the system is not designed for our wellbeing. Voting for a lesser evil as the thing I have to do on the regular to keep people safe is not acceptable to me. I demand better for us.
Reposted by James Widman
How about we shut down the government for this very popular and specific goal and then, hear me out, we hold out for like a month and a half and then, ok this part is important, after a watershed election where we ran the table, ONLY THEN, fold and don't get the one thing we said we wanted.
November 10, 2025 at 2:31 AM
How about we shut down the government for this very popular and specific goal and then, hear me out, we hold out for like a month and a half and then, ok this part is important, after a watershed election where we ran the table, ONLY THEN, fold and don't get the one thing we said we wanted.
Reposted by James Widman
A study with data from ~14 million children shows that COVID19 infection is significantly more harmful to kids’ hearts than the vaccine.
Marty Makary falsely alleged that “children died” because from COVID19 vaccine. Whomever told him that failed to account for SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Link below.
Marty Makary falsely alleged that “children died” because from COVID19 vaccine. Whomever told him that failed to account for SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Link below.
November 10, 2025 at 3:12 PM
A study with data from ~14 million children shows that COVID19 infection is significantly more harmful to kids’ hearts than the vaccine.
Marty Makary falsely alleged that “children died” because from COVID19 vaccine. Whomever told him that failed to account for SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Link below.
Marty Makary falsely alleged that “children died” because from COVID19 vaccine. Whomever told him that failed to account for SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Link below.
Reposted by James Widman
I see some wonkish accounts on here trying to talk themselves into the senate moderates’ caving being a wise move,
and then I’m seeing my former Max Baucus staffer law professor on goddamn LinkedIn demanding ppl call their senators telling them to vote no
and then I’m seeing my former Max Baucus staffer law professor on goddamn LinkedIn demanding ppl call their senators telling them to vote no
November 10, 2025 at 1:53 AM
I see some wonkish accounts on here trying to talk themselves into the senate moderates’ caving being a wise move,
and then I’m seeing my former Max Baucus staffer law professor on goddamn LinkedIn demanding ppl call their senators telling them to vote no
and then I’m seeing my former Max Baucus staffer law professor on goddamn LinkedIn demanding ppl call their senators telling them to vote no