Sturdy Knight, MLIS, PhD
@sturdyknight.bsky.social
Educational Technologist and Instructional Designer.
Specializing in gamification but not in creepy crypto-bro way I swear.
Coming at you live from the fairy bower.
Opinions are mine and correct.
He/Him.
Specializing in gamification but not in creepy crypto-bro way I swear.
Coming at you live from the fairy bower.
Opinions are mine and correct.
He/Him.
I would choose any degree of plate-licking, nose-picking, or general obnoxiousness over the SLIGHTEST INKLING that someone I vote for might use their power to fuck a vulnerable 20-year-old, even if that's perfectly legal. "Not technically a sex crime" is not the standard for leadership.
November 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
I would choose any degree of plate-licking, nose-picking, or general obnoxiousness over the SLIGHTEST INKLING that someone I vote for might use their power to fuck a vulnerable 20-year-old, even if that's perfectly legal. "Not technically a sex crime" is not the standard for leadership.
When you're choosing somebody to be in a position of authority, whether that's teaching undergrads or serving in congress, the question is "will they abuse this authority?" not "will they keep their abuses within the technical letter of the law?"
November 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
When you're choosing somebody to be in a position of authority, whether that's teaching undergrads or serving in congress, the question is "will they abuse this authority?" not "will they keep their abuses within the technical letter of the law?"
The next day Candidate 2 flies home. The committee convenes to make their final decision. Former boss shares with everyone the question about is it cool to fuck freshmen.
Everyone:
Committee Chair: *sighs* Well I guess we're hiring the plate licker!
And indeed that is what happened.
Everyone:
Committee Chair: *sighs* Well I guess we're hiring the plate licker!
And indeed that is what happened.
November 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
The next day Candidate 2 flies home. The committee convenes to make their final decision. Former boss shares with everyone the question about is it cool to fuck freshmen.
Everyone:
Committee Chair: *sighs* Well I guess we're hiring the plate licker!
And indeed that is what happened.
Everyone:
Committee Chair: *sighs* Well I guess we're hiring the plate licker!
And indeed that is what happened.
"Hey, one last question that I couldn't ask during the formal interview, but just man to man, what's the school policy on faculty/student dating?"
November 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
"Hey, one last question that I couldn't ask during the formal interview, but just man to man, what's the school policy on faculty/student dating?"
Dinner goes way better! The conversation sparkles but the dishes do not. Nothing aggressively moist happens to anybody's plate.
After dinner my former boss is making sure Candidate 2 finds his way back to the hotel okay. Just the two of them. On the way, Candidate 2 leans in a little and asks:
After dinner my former boss is making sure Candidate 2 finds his way back to the hotel okay. Just the two of them. On the way, Candidate 2 leans in a little and asks:
November 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Dinner goes way better! The conversation sparkles but the dishes do not. Nothing aggressively moist happens to anybody's plate.
After dinner my former boss is making sure Candidate 2 finds his way back to the hotel okay. Just the two of them. On the way, Candidate 2 leans in a little and asks:
After dinner my former boss is making sure Candidate 2 finds his way back to the hotel okay. Just the two of them. On the way, Candidate 2 leans in a little and asks:
Moist, smacking sounds ensue. Nobody else says anything. Dinner wraps up awkwardly. Candidate 1 flies home the next morning.
Candidate 2 comes the following week, does the same panel interview, tour, student meet-and-greet, guest lecture, and then of course, the final dinner.
Candidate 2 comes the following week, does the same panel interview, tour, student meet-and-greet, guest lecture, and then of course, the final dinner.
November 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Moist, smacking sounds ensue. Nobody else says anything. Dinner wraps up awkwardly. Candidate 1 flies home the next morning.
Candidate 2 comes the following week, does the same panel interview, tour, student meet-and-greet, guest lecture, and then of course, the final dinner.
Candidate 2 comes the following week, does the same panel interview, tour, student meet-and-greet, guest lecture, and then of course, the final dinner.
Sitting at a table at a nice restaurant with several prospective colleagues, everybody wearing formal interview attire, conversing about scholarly minutiae and university politics, and this motherfucker just starts going to TOWN on his plate like it's a prom date he never expected to go this well.
November 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Sitting at a table at a nice restaurant with several prospective colleagues, everybody wearing formal interview attire, conversing about scholarly minutiae and university politics, and this motherfucker just starts going to TOWN on his plate like it's a prom date he never expected to go this well.
The first candidate showed up, did his panel interview, toured the campus, met some students, taught a guest lecture, then the committee took him out to dinner for a final vibe check. Dinner goes fine, until right at the end, he picks up his plate and starts to
Lick
It
Clean.
Lick
It
Clean.
November 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
The first candidate showed up, did his panel interview, toured the campus, met some students, taught a guest lecture, then the committee took him out to dinner for a final vibe check. Dinner goes fine, until right at the end, he picks up his plate and starts to
Lick
It
Clean.
Lick
It
Clean.
A former boss told me this story about ethical standards in hiring:
He was on a search committee for a faculty opening at a university. They had narrowed it down to two final candidates with similarly strong CVs, and invited them both for a campus visit. Both male, incidentally.
He was on a search committee for a faculty opening at a university. They had narrowed it down to two final candidates with similarly strong CVs, and invited them both for a campus visit. Both male, incidentally.
November 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
A former boss told me this story about ethical standards in hiring:
He was on a search committee for a faculty opening at a university. They had narrowed it down to two final candidates with similarly strong CVs, and invited them both for a campus visit. Both male, incidentally.
He was on a search committee for a faculty opening at a university. They had narrowed it down to two final candidates with similarly strong CVs, and invited them both for a campus visit. Both male, incidentally.
I've spent a chunk of my career working at the transition point between high school and college, and the number of people who will defend blatantly disgusting and predatory teacher/student, advisor/advisee, etc relationships because "she was 18/had graduated/just transferred departments" is wild.
November 14, 2025 at 3:42 PM
I've spent a chunk of my career working at the transition point between high school and college, and the number of people who will defend blatantly disgusting and predatory teacher/student, advisor/advisee, etc relationships because "she was 18/had graduated/just transferred departments" is wild.
Yeah, wanting to "hurt the right people" has never been a guiding principle or source of satisfaction for me. It's bad when people get hurt! Even if it's the consequence of a choice I would have advised them against!
November 14, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Yeah, wanting to "hurt the right people" has never been a guiding principle or source of satisfaction for me. It's bad when people get hurt! Even if it's the consequence of a choice I would have advised them against!
If only Patton himself had warned us years ago about trying to sort good guys from bad guys based solely on the use of 'approved' language!
youtu.be/AkKo1_RP_0c?...
youtu.be/AkKo1_RP_0c?...
Bad Guy Good Guy
YouTube video by Skeezy Vampire
youtu.be
November 14, 2025 at 1:53 PM
If only Patton himself had warned us years ago about trying to sort good guys from bad guys based solely on the use of 'approved' language!
youtu.be/AkKo1_RP_0c?...
youtu.be/AkKo1_RP_0c?...
Yesterday's "technically it's ephebophilia" discourse demonstrates yet again that a disturbingly high number of mostly men but also Megyn Kelly have zero problem with blatantly exploitative relationships so long as the exploited party is technically over the local age of consent.
November 14, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Yesterday's "technically it's ephebophilia" discourse demonstrates yet again that a disturbingly high number of mostly men but also Megyn Kelly have zero problem with blatantly exploitative relationships so long as the exploited party is technically over the local age of consent.
Oh hey, he literally just posted an updated version!
bsky.app/profile/gian...
bsky.app/profile/gian...
November 13, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Oh hey, he literally just posted an updated version!
bsky.app/profile/gian...
bsky.app/profile/gian...
You're referring to Gianmarco Soresi's iconic bit about R. Kelly: youtu.be/nu6C2KL_S9o?...
R. Kelly is not a p*dophile (technically speaking) | Gianmarco Soresi | Stand Up Comedy
YouTube video by Gianmarco Soresi
youtu.be
November 13, 2025 at 8:37 PM
You're referring to Gianmarco Soresi's iconic bit about R. Kelly: youtu.be/nu6C2KL_S9o?...
I agree with you that it's a major problem, I'm just saying that neither the source nor the solution is entirely on the pK-12 school system.
November 12, 2025 at 11:32 PM
I agree with you that it's a major problem, I'm just saying that neither the source nor the solution is entirely on the pK-12 school system.
So while formal literacy instruction in the pK-UG years does need to be scrutinized and reformed, at least some blame also belongs to the grown-ass adults who _used to_ read pretty well when it was expected of them but have stopped trying and are dragging us all down with them.
November 12, 2025 at 9:25 PM
So while formal literacy instruction in the pK-UG years does need to be scrutinized and reformed, at least some blame also belongs to the grown-ass adults who _used to_ read pretty well when it was expected of them but have stopped trying and are dragging us all down with them.
Elon almost certainly used to be able to read, discuss ideas, and appreciate art at a sophisticated level, but once he arrived at a place in life where he could just coast on his reputation, he stopped reading anything challenging and his literacy skills atrophied from disuse.
November 12, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Elon almost certainly used to be able to read, discuss ideas, and appreciate art at a sophisticated level, but once he arrived at a place in life where he could just coast on his reputation, he stopped reading anything challenging and his literacy skills atrophied from disuse.
There are plenty of middle-aged college graduates out there who currently have a below-college reading level, but that doesn't mean that they _never_ had a college reading level. JCO's recent post about Elon Musk is illustrative.
November 12, 2025 at 9:15 PM
There are plenty of middle-aged college graduates out there who currently have a below-college reading level, but that doesn't mean that they _never_ had a college reading level. JCO's recent post about Elon Musk is illustrative.
Literacy is a practice, and anyone who has ever actually gotten back on a bike after many years knows, you do retain the basics of how to go through the motions, but you will also be tired and sore within <5 minutes because your muscles are no longer used to working that way.
November 12, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Literacy is a practice, and anyone who has ever actually gotten back on a bike after many years knows, you do retain the basics of how to go through the motions, but you will also be tired and sore within <5 minutes because your muscles are no longer used to working that way.
There's a nuance that needs to be unpacked in this statistic: a middle-aged adult who can no longer read as well as they did in college is not necessarily any more surprising than a middle-aged adult who can no longer play ultimate frisbee, pound beers, or screw as well as they did in college.
November 12, 2025 at 9:10 PM
There's a nuance that needs to be unpacked in this statistic: a middle-aged adult who can no longer read as well as they did in college is not necessarily any more surprising than a middle-aged adult who can no longer play ultimate frisbee, pound beers, or screw as well as they did in college.
Don't forget Gay Hitler
November 12, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Don't forget Gay Hitler