David DeGusta
@davidwrites1.bsky.social
Writer / fiction / Iowa Writers’ Workshop / MacDowell / Yaddo | Ethiopia / literary translation from Amharic | Previously a paleoanthropologist.
www.davidwrites.net
Translator of the Ethiopian novel Oromay by Baalu Girma.
www.davidwrites.net/oromay
www.davidwrites.net
Translator of the Ethiopian novel Oromay by Baalu Girma.
www.davidwrites.net/oromay
You helped make paleogroup a great experience - good times!
October 30, 2025 at 11:38 PM
You helped make paleogroup a great experience - good times!
Oh, sure - that totally makes sense. My only variant (and not saying it’s a better way, just my way) is that I would announce those clarifications to the class as a whole (e.g., north vs south-facing slope). Completely agree that I don’t want to trip up students on non-class vocab.
October 30, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Oh, sure - that totally makes sense. My only variant (and not saying it’s a better way, just my way) is that I would announce those clarifications to the class as a whole (e.g., north vs south-facing slope). Completely agree that I don’t want to trip up students on non-class vocab.
My policy for questions during an exam is that I will either respond “answer the question as written” or, if a clarification is needed, I will announce it to the whole class. No individual guidance, as that can be unfair. Also cuts down on pleas for help in question form. (Hi Mike!)
October 30, 2025 at 9:56 PM
My policy for questions during an exam is that I will either respond “answer the question as written” or, if a clarification is needed, I will announce it to the whole class. No individual guidance, as that can be unfair. Also cuts down on pleas for help in question form. (Hi Mike!)
You had me scared at Arby’s.
October 27, 2025 at 2:59 AM
You had me scared at Arby’s.
Their conversation seemed to ignore the fact that if you expose people to gambling, a certain percentage of them will get addicted. Especially now with gambling via smartphone apps. That ruins lives, even without cheating. Sports books losing a few bucks to insider info is not the big harm here.
October 24, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Their conversation seemed to ignore the fact that if you expose people to gambling, a certain percentage of them will get addicted. Especially now with gambling via smartphone apps. That ruins lives, even without cheating. Sports books losing a few bucks to insider info is not the big harm here.
I did. But I tried to structure it so that the first few minutes of class weren’t critical for following the rest of the session. That way latecomers could still participate. Also, just because students are in their seats doesn’t mean they are fully “there” yet, so a little warmup is nice for all.
October 13, 2025 at 5:12 PM
I did. But I tried to structure it so that the first few minutes of class weren’t critical for following the rest of the session. That way latecomers could still participate. Also, just because students are in their seats doesn’t mean they are fully “there” yet, so a little warmup is nice for all.
“Fiction: Bringing Game Theoretic Predicaments to Life Since the Second Millennium BC”
Might still need to workshop that slogan a bit.
Might still need to workshop that slogan a bit.
October 4, 2025 at 9:40 PM
“Fiction: Bringing Game Theoretic Predicaments to Life Since the Second Millennium BC”
Might still need to workshop that slogan a bit.
Might still need to workshop that slogan a bit.
And for those who might respond to such concerns with, “But AI is going to be way better soon,” it’s worth noting that OpenAI’s own researchers just released a research paper showing mathematically that errors (hallucinations) are inevitable in LLMs.
www.computerworld.com/article/4059...
www.computerworld.com/article/4059...
OpenAI admits AI hallucinations are mathematically inevitable, not just engineering flaws
In a landmark study, OpenAI researchers reveal that large language models will always produce plausible but false outputs, even with perfect data, due to fundamental statistical and computational limi...
www.computerworld.com
October 4, 2025 at 9:34 PM
And for those who might respond to such concerns with, “But AI is going to be way better soon,” it’s worth noting that OpenAI’s own researchers just released a research paper showing mathematically that errors (hallucinations) are inevitable in LLMs.
www.computerworld.com/article/4059...
www.computerworld.com/article/4059...
It struck me as a fake thing that Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat would get a bunch of C-list comedians to agree to with all kinds of over-the-top requirements (“You must do one knock-knock joke - our leader really loves those. Knock knock, who’s there, hit squad! So funny!”).
October 4, 2025 at 5:47 PM
It struck me as a fake thing that Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat would get a bunch of C-list comedians to agree to with all kinds of over-the-top requirements (“You must do one knock-knock joke - our leader really loves those. Knock knock, who’s there, hit squad! So funny!”).
Fwiw, the article just says that the center will offer classes in digital content, so the poster seems to have invented the idea that they are adding a new degree/major. But yeah, the notion of something like “The Jake and Logan Paul Endowed Chair of Trolling” is pretty hilarious.
October 4, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Fwiw, the article just says that the center will offer classes in digital content, so the poster seems to have invented the idea that they are adding a new degree/major. But yeah, the notion of something like “The Jake and Logan Paul Endowed Chair of Trolling” is pretty hilarious.
The article just says the center will be offering courses, no mention of any new degrees or majors (which would typically come through a department rather than a center).
October 4, 2025 at 1:35 PM
The article just says the center will be offering courses, no mention of any new degrees or majors (which would typically come through a department rather than a center).
Thank you for mentioning Oromay!
October 4, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Thank you for mentioning Oromay!
I probably shouldn’t admit this (note to other entities, this only applies to Scriptnotes!), but … it actually did prompt me to go back and re-listen to episode 633 with John Gatins on “dormant” projects. 🤷
October 2, 2025 at 10:10 PM
I probably shouldn’t admit this (note to other entities, this only applies to Scriptnotes!), but … it actually did prompt me to go back and re-listen to episode 633 with John Gatins on “dormant” projects. 🤷
Admitting and correcting mistakes is exactly the kind of journalistic good practice* that one worries might be jettisoned under the rumored new leadership at CBS News.
* also good human practice.
* also good human practice.
October 2, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Admitting and correcting mistakes is exactly the kind of journalistic good practice* that one worries might be jettisoned under the rumored new leadership at CBS News.
* also good human practice.
* also good human practice.
Yes, I remember that from one of your early Valkyries newsletters and, being statistically minded, it struck me as an excellent and underappreciated point. Though I can understand how players and commentators might naturally resist that idea, at least emotionally.
October 1, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Yes, I remember that from one of your early Valkyries newsletters and, being statistically minded, it struck me as an excellent and underappreciated point. Though I can understand how players and commentators might naturally resist that idea, at least emotionally.
And there’s the free throw lane violation in Q3 by Natasha Howard that took a point off the board for Indy. Obviously a game that goes to OT means that every point in regulation mattered, and LV would have played differently down 1 at end of regulation, but free throw violations are really rare.
October 1, 2025 at 5:54 AM
And there’s the free throw lane violation in Q3 by Natasha Howard that took a point off the board for Indy. Obviously a game that goes to OT means that every point in regulation mattered, and LV would have played differently down 1 at end of regulation, but free throw violations are really rare.
More of this in life too please!
September 26, 2025 at 1:47 PM
More of this in life too please!
Also, support literary magazines, especially if you submit to them. As you are able, amplify them on social media, subscribe, or volunteer as a reader. I learned a ton reading for @themassreview.bsky.social, and the lit mag ecosystem needs a balance between submissions and readers.
September 25, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Also, support literary magazines, especially if you submit to them. As you are able, amplify them on social media, subscribe, or volunteer as a reader. I learned a ton reading for @themassreview.bsky.social, and the lit mag ecosystem needs a balance between submissions and readers.