Darren Simmons
@darrensimmons.bsky.social
He/him. Mathematician (ask me about groups!). Erstwhile fan of sport. De facto anarchist, not having a great time these days. Atheist, but usually not a jerk about it. Used to be @mathman_85 at the old place.
Views expressed are my own.
Views expressed are my own.
Pinned
Noticing that even I’m getting new followers, so…
I’m Darren. I’m a mathematician, and I teach math for a living, but most of the things I post about aren’t related to either of those things. Mostly, I tend to post about politics and current events, occasionally sports, sometimes media. Welcome.
I’m Darren. I’m a mathematician, and I teach math for a living, but most of the things I post about aren’t related to either of those things. Mostly, I tend to post about politics and current events, occasionally sports, sometimes media. Welcome.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
its almost a month since lia smith, a trans woman who was in college sports until trump took office and banned her from competing, committed suicide
her death has a wikipedia page but has yet to receive an ounce of news coverage in
@nytimes.com
@washingtonpost.com
@apnews.com
@cnn.com
her death has a wikipedia page but has yet to receive an ounce of news coverage in
@nytimes.com
@washingtonpost.com
@apnews.com
@cnn.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:48 AM
its almost a month since lia smith, a trans woman who was in college sports until trump took office and banned her from competing, committed suicide
her death has a wikipedia page but has yet to receive an ounce of news coverage in
@nytimes.com
@washingtonpost.com
@apnews.com
@cnn.com
her death has a wikipedia page but has yet to receive an ounce of news coverage in
@nytimes.com
@washingtonpost.com
@apnews.com
@cnn.com
Reposted by Darren Simmons
Also, the caving started around the time 12 major airports grounded all private flights.
Never again 'blue no matter who'
Pick the best fucking person and back the hell out of them, and see what could happen.
Never again 'blue no matter who'
Pick the best fucking person and back the hell out of them, and see what could happen.
Democrats helped Republicans kill a ten billion dollar industry in order to cave on the shutdown.
of all the things about this deal that are pissing me off this might have pissed me off the most
November 11, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Also, the caving started around the time 12 major airports grounded all private flights.
Never again 'blue no matter who'
Pick the best fucking person and back the hell out of them, and see what could happen.
Never again 'blue no matter who'
Pick the best fucking person and back the hell out of them, and see what could happen.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
They literally had a caucus meeting to decide who would vote against the filibuster. It's not an accident that no one up for reelection in 2026 is on this list save Fetterman, who is legit bonkers.
Schumer planned behind closed doors to do this & all agreed.
All of them are traitors. All of them.
Schumer planned behind closed doors to do this & all agreed.
All of them are traitors. All of them.
November 10, 2025 at 8:41 PM
They literally had a caucus meeting to decide who would vote against the filibuster. It's not an accident that no one up for reelection in 2026 is on this list save Fetterman, who is legit bonkers.
Schumer planned behind closed doors to do this & all agreed.
All of them are traitors. All of them.
Schumer planned behind closed doors to do this & all agreed.
All of them are traitors. All of them.
So, snow. A few centimeters, even. Already.
November 10, 2025 at 1:38 PM
So, snow. A few centimeters, even. Already.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
This is a must read
Seems all too common for a person to have some early success in life, see it as proof of their genius and downplay any luck or privilege that could have gotten them there, and then become incapable of self reflection and growth
See also Dawkins, JK Rowling, etc...
Seems all too common for a person to have some early success in life, see it as proof of their genius and downplay any luck or privilege that could have gotten them there, and then become incapable of self reflection and growth
See also Dawkins, JK Rowling, etc...
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:09 AM
This is a must read
Seems all too common for a person to have some early success in life, see it as proof of their genius and downplay any luck or privilege that could have gotten them there, and then become incapable of self reflection and growth
See also Dawkins, JK Rowling, etc...
Seems all too common for a person to have some early success in life, see it as proof of their genius and downplay any luck or privilege that could have gotten them there, and then become incapable of self reflection and growth
See also Dawkins, JK Rowling, etc...
Reposted by Darren Simmons
Watson was deeply influential to me as a genomicist, but not how you may assume
From stealing Rosalind Franklin's lab notes to his frequent sexist & racist bioessentialist comments later in life, he showed how the scientific community would still worship a terrible person
Don't idolize bad people
From stealing Rosalind Franklin's lab notes to his frequent sexist & racist bioessentialist comments later in life, he showed how the scientific community would still worship a terrible person
Don't idolize bad people
BREAKING: James Watson, co-discoverer of DNA’s double helix whose work reshaped medicine, forensics and genetics, dies at 97.
James Watson, co-discoverer of the double-helix shape of DNA, has died at age 97
Scientist James Watson, who shared a Nobel prize for helping discover the double-helix shape of the DNA molecule, has died. He was 97.
bit.ly
November 7, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Watson was deeply influential to me as a genomicist, but not how you may assume
From stealing Rosalind Franklin's lab notes to his frequent sexist & racist bioessentialist comments later in life, he showed how the scientific community would still worship a terrible person
Don't idolize bad people
From stealing Rosalind Franklin's lab notes to his frequent sexist & racist bioessentialist comments later in life, he showed how the scientific community would still worship a terrible person
Don't idolize bad people
No gods, no masters. Forever.
November 6, 2025 at 1:03 AM
No gods, no masters. Forever.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
I’m just saying, I directed a movie for basically no money that debuted in the 90s on rotten tomatoes and got distribution with no stars attached, I did not get a single call and couldn’t even find a rep as a director. This was not the case for any of the male directors I went to AFI with.
She's absolutely right. As a producer with several films in development with female directors, I can say it is an absolute uphill battle to get execs to fund their projects. Great scripts are sitting on shelves while a generation of our most talented women sit idle.
www.avclub.com/kristen-stew...
www.avclub.com/kristen-stew...
Kristen Stewart declares "state of emergency" over gender inequality in film
Kristen Stewart declares "state of emergency" over gender inequality in film
www.avclub.com
November 5, 2025 at 6:26 PM
I’m just saying, I directed a movie for basically no money that debuted in the 90s on rotten tomatoes and got distribution with no stars attached, I did not get a single call and couldn’t even find a rep as a director. This was not the case for any of the male directors I went to AFI with.
Give EVERYBODY eat.
BREAKING: Colorado voters approved a ballot measure that would raise state income taxes on higher-earning households to fund free meals for all public school students.
Follow AP for live updates.
Follow AP for live updates.
Live updates: US voters head to the polls in first general election since Trump's return to power
One year after Donald Trump retook the presidency, 2025 Election Day includes closely watched races for New York City mayor, New Jersey governor and California's Proposition 50.
bit.ly
November 5, 2025 at 4:04 AM
Give EVERYBODY eat.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
a colleague was in my office fretting about the NJ gubernatorial race, worried that the Republican candidate might overturn marriage protections in the state and invalidate her NJ marriage to her wife
we should not have to care this much about some other state's gubernatorial race
we should not have to care this much about some other state's gubernatorial race
November 5, 2025 at 12:46 AM
a colleague was in my office fretting about the NJ gubernatorial race, worried that the Republican candidate might overturn marriage protections in the state and invalidate her NJ marriage to her wife
we should not have to care this much about some other state's gubernatorial race
we should not have to care this much about some other state's gubernatorial race
Reposted by Darren Simmons
You never hear about anyone with especially good ideas hankering to debate anyone, because that's not how you spread good ideas. It's how you platform and legitimize bad ones.
November 4, 2025 at 10:37 PM
You never hear about anyone with especially good ideas hankering to debate anyone, because that's not how you spread good ideas. It's how you platform and legitimize bad ones.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
Truly hilarious thread covering the ongoing criminal prosecution of a national hero, Sandwich Guy™.
Big day at U.S. District Court in D.C. where Sean Dunn, the D.C. Sandwich Guy, is on trial for misdemeanor assault of a federal officer.
Border Patrol agent Gregory Lairmore is on the stand narrating surveillance video of the sammie toss.
'Now he’s struck me with the sandwich,' Lairmore says.
Border Patrol agent Gregory Lairmore is on the stand narrating surveillance video of the sammie toss.
'Now he’s struck me with the sandwich,' Lairmore says.
November 4, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Truly hilarious thread covering the ongoing criminal prosecution of a national hero, Sandwich Guy™.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
It is very clear the gutting of Teen Vogue is about silencing their excellent political coverage. Corporations want you uninformed and shut off from meaningful journalism. And they’re staggeringly successful at it so far.
I was laid off from Teen Vogue today along with multiple other staffers, and today is my last day.
certainly more to come from me when the dust has settled more, but to my knowledge, after today, there will be no politics staffers at Teen Vogue.
certainly more to come from me when the dust has settled more, but to my knowledge, after today, there will be no politics staffers at Teen Vogue.
November 3, 2025 at 8:26 PM
It is very clear the gutting of Teen Vogue is about silencing their excellent political coverage. Corporations want you uninformed and shut off from meaningful journalism. And they’re staggeringly successful at it so far.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
Reposted by Darren Simmons
Teen Vogue being folded into Vogue is also part of the fascist capture of media
November 3, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Teen Vogue being folded into Vogue is also part of the fascist capture of media
Reposted by Darren Simmons
Covid is a civil rights issue and human rights issue, period. You have the right to a safe workplace. Without reasonable precautions like upgraded air filtration and masking, covid makes the workplace patentl unsafe. Failure to address it is ubiquitous. That does not make it any less wrong.
November 2, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Covid is a civil rights issue and human rights issue, period. You have the right to a safe workplace. Without reasonable precautions like upgraded air filtration and masking, covid makes the workplace patentl unsafe. Failure to address it is ubiquitous. That does not make it any less wrong.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
Reposted by Darren Simmons
The moderate/liberal reactionism is that is going on amongst some is very clearly about noticing who is being put on the elimination list - immigrants, people in poverty, disabled people, trans people - and shoving as many of the vulnerable as they can in front of themselves.
November 2, 2025 at 7:17 PM
The moderate/liberal reactionism is that is going on amongst some is very clearly about noticing who is being put on the elimination list - immigrants, people in poverty, disabled people, trans people - and shoving as many of the vulnerable as they can in front of themselves.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
Reposted by Darren Simmons
In case there was any question: yes, the federal government is openly trying to starve people.
The USDA sent an email to grocery stores telling them they are prohibited from offering special discounts to customers affected by the SNAP funding lapse.
I'm aware of at least 2 stores that had offered struggling customers a discount, then withdrew it after receiving this email
I'm aware of at least 2 stores that had offered struggling customers a discount, then withdrew it after receiving this email
November 2, 2025 at 7:15 PM
In case there was any question: yes, the federal government is openly trying to starve people.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
Such a great system we’ve got:
-full time work may still not be enough to afford rent
-if you rent you’re still at the mercy of a landlord’s decisions to let you stay in a moldy house, and spending so much on rent you can’t afford alternatives or savings
-if you save, you get screwed by home prices
-full time work may still not be enough to afford rent
-if you rent you’re still at the mercy of a landlord’s decisions to let you stay in a moldy house, and spending so much on rent you can’t afford alternatives or savings
-if you save, you get screwed by home prices
November 1, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Such a great system we’ve got:
-full time work may still not be enough to afford rent
-if you rent you’re still at the mercy of a landlord’s decisions to let you stay in a moldy house, and spending so much on rent you can’t afford alternatives or savings
-if you save, you get screwed by home prices
-full time work may still not be enough to afford rent
-if you rent you’re still at the mercy of a landlord’s decisions to let you stay in a moldy house, and spending so much on rent you can’t afford alternatives or savings
-if you save, you get screwed by home prices
The project as I see it is not merely the abolition of capital (though that *is* part of it) but the abolition of *all* hierarchies of dominance, to be replaced by voluntary association at as local a level as possible. Think more _The Conquest of Bread_ than _The Communist Manifesto_.
For those on the left who are not socialists, or who do not ally with socialist parties, I don't really understand: what exactly is the project? What is the plan?
November 1, 2025 at 4:32 PM
The project as I see it is not merely the abolition of capital (though that *is* part of it) but the abolition of *all* hierarchies of dominance, to be replaced by voluntary association at as local a level as possible. Think more _The Conquest of Bread_ than _The Communist Manifesto_.
And now that it’s the first weekend of November, we’re stuck having to disrupt everyone’s sleep schedules and circadian rhythms by ending daylight saving time at 02:00L tomorrow morning. We really need to STOP DOING THAT. We would be far better off choosing one of standard or daylight time…
November 1, 2025 at 12:47 PM
And now that it’s the first weekend of November, we’re stuck having to disrupt everyone’s sleep schedules and circadian rhythms by ending daylight saving time at 02:00L tomorrow morning. We really need to STOP DOING THAT. We would be far better off choosing one of standard or daylight time…