Yvonne Lam
@yvonnezlam.bsky.social
I play with books, cats, food, yarn, and dirt, not all at the same time. Software engineer. Society of People Interested in Boring Things. She/her, cis.
Reposted by Yvonne Lam
As an educator, one of the most significant professional realizations I came to was that all our time limitations on tests are completely arbitrary. Is there a specific reason this is a 90 minute test? Because we think it should take that long or it's most convenient to us?
December 2, 2025 at 8:02 PM
As an educator, one of the most significant professional realizations I came to was that all our time limitations on tests are completely arbitrary. Is there a specific reason this is a 90 minute test? Because we think it should take that long or it's most convenient to us?
Everything is reminding me of Adam Phillips on the dangers of desiring omniscience.
There's no rationale, no theory, no evidence that connects chasing replicability to actual scientific progress or discovery. We're looking for ways to bypass the laborious scientific process of exploration. It's a pity that we waste our increasingly limited research resources on futile searches.
December 3, 2025 at 3:00 AM
Everything is reminding me of Adam Phillips on the dangers of desiring omniscience.
Marianne was not committing a crime. Absolutely not.
December 3, 2025 at 2:59 AM
Marianne was not committing a crime. Absolutely not.
Reposted by Yvonne Lam
My books have once again run out (wrapped up Katabasis and The Tiger and the Wolf on the plane).
What's good in SF/F these days?
What's good in SF/F these days?
Please, my books. They have run out.
Going to try and comp all my "recommend me books" lists in one place so people know I already read Murderbot
Going to try and comp all my "recommend me books" lists in one place so people know I already read Murderbot
Introduce yourself with three books you love:
Monday Begins on Saturday - Strugatsky Brothers
Mountains of Mourning - Lois McMaster Bujold
Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula K LeGuin
Monday Begins on Saturday - Strugatsky Brothers
Mountains of Mourning - Lois McMaster Bujold
Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula K LeGuin
December 3, 2025 at 2:49 AM
My books have once again run out (wrapped up Katabasis and The Tiger and the Wolf on the plane).
What's good in SF/F these days?
What's good in SF/F these days?
Reposted by Yvonne Lam
After becoming a congressional leader, a politician’s stock portfolio beats out those of peers by 47 (!!!) percentage points a year through trades timed around bills and firms that later get government contracts
www.nber.org/papers/w34524
via @florianederer.bsky.social
www.nber.org/papers/w34524
via @florianederer.bsky.social
December 3, 2025 at 1:42 AM
After becoming a congressional leader, a politician’s stock portfolio beats out those of peers by 47 (!!!) percentage points a year through trades timed around bills and firms that later get government contracts
www.nber.org/papers/w34524
via @florianederer.bsky.social
www.nber.org/papers/w34524
via @florianederer.bsky.social
annual reminder that eggnog counts as a recovery drink
December 3, 2025 at 1:54 AM
annual reminder that eggnog counts as a recovery drink
Reposted by Yvonne Lam
TL;DR
Middle management is hard. Caring is required, but the kind of care you provide matters.
Middle management is hard. Caring is required, but the kind of care you provide matters.
Ashley Willis
The other day I texted my group chat with other leaders outside my organization. The ones I go to when the leadership stuff gets messy and I need perspective fr...
ashley.dev
December 2, 2025 at 10:01 PM
TL;DR
Middle management is hard. Caring is required, but the kind of care you provide matters.
Middle management is hard. Caring is required, but the kind of care you provide matters.
TIL I didn't have those dudes' names muted. I can fix that right now.
I don’t need any more information about Tarantino’s opinions as long as I live. Truly. If he wants to make movies, he should go make movies! But sharing what Tarantino said *on Bret Easton Ellis’ podcast* is like a turducken of I Absolutely Do Not Care Even Slightly.
December 2, 2025 at 11:17 PM
TIL I didn't have those dudes' names muted. I can fix that right now.
I'm glad I was in a little tiny window on zoom when someone brought up the horrible "wartime leader" folk model, so no one could see me roll my eyse.
This is why I could not cover politics full-time, because I would have to always mask at press conferences to prevent other people from seeing my most ridiculous facial expressions.
December 2, 2025 at 11:05 PM
I'm glad I was in a little tiny window on zoom when someone brought up the horrible "wartime leader" folk model, so no one could see me roll my eyse.
Could some kind person make use of image recognition so that I don't have to look at pictures of the President of the United States, please?
December 2, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Could some kind person make use of image recognition so that I don't have to look at pictures of the President of the United States, please?
Reposted by Yvonne Lam
MFW I'm forced to do anything my ADHD brain doesn't want to
Basilica Cistern an underground water cistern in Istanbul 🇹🇷 commissioned by Roman Emperor Justinian I in 6th Century AD. Located near Hagia Sophia, the cistern was built to meet the city's water needs.
#archaeohistories
#archaeohistories
December 2, 2025 at 8:33 PM
MFW I'm forced to do anything my ADHD brain doesn't want to
I am enmeshed in a truly annoying fight over an accommodation, so I needed to read this thread today.
Let me reframe this: perhaps we should not discourage them, as it might also discourage disabled people from seeking accommodations out of fear that they will be accused of faking their disability; or, they will refrain from seeking accommodations out of fear of "not being disabled enough."
Balancing "no person with a disability should be denied accommodations" with "it's important to discourage non-disabled people from pretending to be disabled to take advantage of these accommodations" is really difficult and I don't have a great answer for what anyone should do about it.
December 2, 2025 at 9:41 PM
I am enmeshed in a truly annoying fight over an accommodation, so I needed to read this thread today.
I'm sticking to athleisure, thank you.
The juxtaposition of the shape with the cost gave me a very good laugh
December 2, 2025 at 9:19 PM
I'm sticking to athleisure, thank you.
Reposted by Yvonne Lam
I love this so so much and it is the best part of my day. 😍
Tested my most recent lasercut movable type experiment w/a print for @quinnanya.me' YarnLab. Lead type="Craft is critical", "& fun too!", 〰️⭐️s. Lasercut=YARNLAB (120pt Cooper Black w/added stripes to connect to...), yarn ball, "technology" bubble letters, skeleton, retro Mac #DHmakes +
December 2, 2025 at 7:50 PM
I love this so so much and it is the best part of my day. 😍
No one, including me, knows what the upper limit on how long I can hold a grudge is, because it hasn't been reached.
“AI is clearly sticking around so you have to get used to it” wrong. I don’t have to get used to shit. I am a practiced hater and I can keep this going for decades if I am required to
December 2, 2025 at 8:35 PM
No one, including me, knows what the upper limit on how long I can hold a grudge is, because it hasn't been reached.
I have no idea how someone is going to prank them, but someone is going to do it, and I will laugh mercilessly, because this is so incredibly fucking offensive I cannot even.
December 2, 2025 at 8:29 PM
I have no idea how someone is going to prank them, but someone is going to do it, and I will laugh mercilessly, because this is so incredibly fucking offensive I cannot even.
Reposted by Yvonne Lam
Economics is the most powerful school of magic, able to transform "people can't afford food or rent" into "food and rent are not in demand."
December 2, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Economics is the most powerful school of magic, able to transform "people can't afford food or rent" into "food and rent are not in demand."
Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of @wolfsonoxford.bsky.social
Wolfson was founded in 1965. Named for Sir Isaac Wolfson, mail order baron, it is one of two pairs of colleges in Oxbridge named for the same person
If you like this image, please retweet it - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm
Wolfson was founded in 1965. Named for Sir Isaac Wolfson, mail order baron, it is one of two pairs of colleges in Oxbridge named for the same person
If you like this image, please retweet it - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm
December 2, 2025 at 2:09 PM
But it's polite scepticism...
Plans for an Ozvent calendar are meeting with some scepticism
December 2, 2025 at 2:04 PM
But it's polite scepticism...
Reposted by Yvonne Lam
Letter below is by surgical oncologist and professor Dr. Michael Baum about how a character explaining chaos theory in a Tom Stoppard play sparked an expansion in his understanding of breast cancer, leading to exploration of adjuvant therapy that protects distant organs.
This is what art can do.
This is what art can do.
December 2, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Letter below is by surgical oncologist and professor Dr. Michael Baum about how a character explaining chaos theory in a Tom Stoppard play sparked an expansion in his understanding of breast cancer, leading to exploration of adjuvant therapy that protects distant organs.
This is what art can do.
This is what art can do.
Wondering if Mrs Fred Reynolds is one of Mr Mybug's pen names.
Virginia Woolf being remarkably polite about what sounds like one of the worst novels ever written.
December 2, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Wondering if Mrs Fred Reynolds is one of Mr Mybug's pen names.
Reposted by Yvonne Lam
TO AUSTERLITZ!
(because it’s the 220th anniversary)
(because it’s the 220th anniversary)
December 2, 2025 at 9:38 AM
TO AUSTERLITZ!
(because it’s the 220th anniversary)
(because it’s the 220th anniversary)
saving to read later
"Credit scoring systems...embed opaque proxies that penalize socio-economic precarity under a veneer of actuarial neutrality."
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
December 2, 2025 at 3:54 AM
saving to read later
Reposted by Yvonne Lam
“Louis XIV fell in love with Versailles and Louise de la Vallière at the same time; Versailles was the love of his life.” (p1) #NYRBWomen25 Here’s our page guide & a photo of Bernini’s sculpture mentioned on page 7.
December 2, 2025 at 3:41 AM
“Louis XIV fell in love with Versailles and Louise de la Vallière at the same time; Versailles was the love of his life.” (p1) #NYRBWomen25 Here’s our page guide & a photo of Bernini’s sculpture mentioned on page 7.
These sound good. I have been considering a batch of Deb Perelman's eggnog florentines
smittenkitchen.com/2013/12/eggn...
smittenkitchen.com/2013/12/eggn...
December 2, 2025 at 3:51 AM
These sound good. I have been considering a batch of Deb Perelman's eggnog florentines
smittenkitchen.com/2013/12/eggn...
smittenkitchen.com/2013/12/eggn...