@fred-decker.bsky.social
Freelance writer, interested in almost everything (but I repeat myself). Was the kid who read encyclopedias for fun, now am the grownup who reads academic papers and follows smart people online.
Reposted
Everyone should read the first chapter of Tony Judt’s Postwar. The toll of WW2 is laid out in stark numbers, country by country, group by group.
One gutting datapoint: 4 out of 10 Jews liberated from the camps died within a few weeks anyway.
One gutting datapoint: 4 out of 10 Jews liberated from the camps died within a few weeks anyway.
December 26, 2025 at 4:05 AM
Everyone should read the first chapter of Tony Judt’s Postwar. The toll of WW2 is laid out in stark numbers, country by country, group by group.
One gutting datapoint: 4 out of 10 Jews liberated from the camps died within a few weeks anyway.
One gutting datapoint: 4 out of 10 Jews liberated from the camps died within a few weeks anyway.
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RFK: “Where did all this autism come from? It never existed when I was a kid!”
“A Christmas Story”, a 1983 movie based on a 1971 memoir about a childhood in the 1930s: “This is my brother Ralphie. He has a ton of sensory issues and behaviors we don’t understand. Every family has a child like him.”
“A Christmas Story”, a 1983 movie based on a 1971 memoir about a childhood in the 1930s: “This is my brother Ralphie. He has a ton of sensory issues and behaviors we don’t understand. Every family has a child like him.”
December 26, 2025 at 2:43 AM
RFK: “Where did all this autism come from? It never existed when I was a kid!”
“A Christmas Story”, a 1983 movie based on a 1971 memoir about a childhood in the 1930s: “This is my brother Ralphie. He has a ton of sensory issues and behaviors we don’t understand. Every family has a child like him.”
“A Christmas Story”, a 1983 movie based on a 1971 memoir about a childhood in the 1930s: “This is my brother Ralphie. He has a ton of sensory issues and behaviors we don’t understand. Every family has a child like him.”
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Merry Christmas one and all, from the Vaders 🎄
December 25, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Merry Christmas one and all, from the Vaders 🎄
Shocker...
(but confirming the obvious is an important and underrated activity in any scientific field...)
(but confirming the obvious is an important and underrated activity in any scientific field...)
We talked about running these numbers at UM soc when it became so obvious that women TAs got more complaints for the same classes. Glad someone tested it formally.
Experimental evidence that students are more likely to contest grades when they are delivered by an evaluator with a female-sounding name.
"These findings suggest that women in evaluative positions face disproportionate resistance when delivering negative assessments."
"These findings suggest that women in evaluative positions face disproportionate resistance when delivering negative assessments."
December 26, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Shocker...
(but confirming the obvious is an important and underrated activity in any scientific field...)
(but confirming the obvious is an important and underrated activity in any scientific field...)
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Read this. Merry Christmas indeed
December 25, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Read this. Merry Christmas indeed
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Ha! Here's something useful from the New Yorker: a German word Backpfeifengesicht, which is defined as “a face that deserves to be slapped or punched.” It's even hard to hard aloud without a dismissive, back-of-my-hand-to-your-'fact' wave. I will be using this one. A lot.
Is the Dictionary Done For?
The print edition of Merriam-Webster was once a touchstone of authority and stability. Then the internet brought about a revolution.
www.newyorker.com
December 25, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Ha! Here's something useful from the New Yorker: a German word Backpfeifengesicht, which is defined as “a face that deserves to be slapped or punched.” It's even hard to hard aloud without a dismissive, back-of-my-hand-to-your-'fact' wave. I will be using this one. A lot.
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New from me: The storied fiddler Ashley MacIsaac wanted to play a show at a Nova Scotia First Nation. It got cancelled because Google's AI search summary incorrectly called him a sex offender. Now he's worried for his safety www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/arti...
Fiddler Ashley MacIsaac has show cancelled over Google AI-generated misinformation
Cape Breton musician was set to perform in Nova Scotia before a search summary incorrectly described him as a sex offender
www.theglobeandmail.com
December 23, 2025 at 4:27 PM
New from me: The storied fiddler Ashley MacIsaac wanted to play a show at a Nova Scotia First Nation. It got cancelled because Google's AI search summary incorrectly called him a sex offender. Now he's worried for his safety www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/arti...
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So everyone's watching the 60 Minutes that was supposed to be banned and everyone who knows how PDFs work can unredact the Epstein files, it's like the Christmas spirit has irony poisoning this year
December 23, 2025 at 5:14 AM
So everyone's watching the 60 Minutes that was supposed to be banned and everyone who knows how PDFs work can unredact the Epstein files, it's like the Christmas spirit has irony poisoning this year
Sorry, my eyes aren't good with small print anymore.
Does that say "USS Degenerate"?
Does that say "USS Degenerate"?
oh my god its literally Long Beach's wario
December 23, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Sorry, my eyes aren't good with small print anymore.
Does that say "USS Degenerate"?
Does that say "USS Degenerate"?
Reposted
Trump's in the Epstein files over 600 times.
December 22, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Trump's in the Epstein files over 600 times.
Bravo!
...next can you do food? Food safety's going to get pretty grim by the time the current crew leaves office.
...next can you do food? Food safety's going to get pretty grim by the time the current crew leaves office.
Consumers don’t know if their medications came from factories that used dirty water, were infested by insects or birds, or were outright banned from shipping drugs to the U.S.
Our new app provides answers that the FDA won’t.
Our new app provides answers that the FDA won’t.
Rx Inspector: ProPublica’s New Tool Provides Drug Info the FDA Won’t
We’ve launched a first-of-its-kind app to help you find out where your generic drugs come from and see the track records of the factories that made them.
www.propublica.org
December 22, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Bravo!
...next can you do food? Food safety's going to get pretty grim by the time the current crew leaves office.
...next can you do food? Food safety's going to get pretty grim by the time the current crew leaves office.
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Tonight’s dumb napkin cartoon…
December 22, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Tonight’s dumb napkin cartoon…
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A big part of being a historian is being a detective! Who did this? Why? Where? Why does it matter in the grand scheme of things? You have to learn how to probe, how to uncover, how to read against the grain, how to find unusual sources, how to interpret those sources. How to piece together a puzzle
It also robs students of learning *how* to research.
December 21, 2025 at 2:01 PM
A big part of being a historian is being a detective! Who did this? Why? Where? Why does it matter in the grand scheme of things? You have to learn how to probe, how to uncover, how to read against the grain, how to find unusual sources, how to interpret those sources. How to piece together a puzzle
Okay, Kevin wins the internet today.
Neither is herpes, but I’ll keep doing my work without either.
AI is not going to go away
December 21, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Okay, Kevin wins the internet today.
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14yo: the Catholic Church needs to get with the times. No one cares about shamrocks anymore
14yo: they should say that the Holy Trinity is like a 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner, and body wash
14yo: it won’t be great, but it’ll get the job done
14yo: they should say that the Holy Trinity is like a 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner, and body wash
14yo: it won’t be great, but it’ll get the job done
December 20, 2025 at 4:08 AM
14yo: the Catholic Church needs to get with the times. No one cares about shamrocks anymore
14yo: they should say that the Holy Trinity is like a 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner, and body wash
14yo: it won’t be great, but it’ll get the job done
14yo: they should say that the Holy Trinity is like a 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner, and body wash
14yo: it won’t be great, but it’ll get the job done
Haven't flown with my GF yet, but this is her as well. She can walk just fine... but not quickly, or for any distance.
In 2020 we walked 5-8 km every day. In 2021, she had to strategize her washroom trips, because those few yards wiped her out for hours. Rheumatoid arthritis sucks rocks.
In 2020 we walked 5-8 km every day. In 2021, she had to strategize her washroom trips, because those few yards wiped her out for hours. Rheumatoid arthritis sucks rocks.
YOU DUMB FUCKS. THIS IS ME.
I have a scooter. I can walk. I can't, however, walk through 80 miles of airport. I can walk onto an airplane or through hallways. I can't walk the .5 mile to the convention center.
People, get smarter, it's embarrassing at this point.
I have a scooter. I can walk. I can't, however, walk through 80 miles of airport. I can walk onto an airplane or through hallways. I can't walk the .5 mile to the convention center.
People, get smarter, it's embarrassing at this point.
Travelers bemoan a rise of able-bodied passengers who game the system to skip the lines. on.wsj.com/3N6apva
December 19, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Haven't flown with my GF yet, but this is her as well. She can walk just fine... but not quickly, or for any distance.
In 2020 we walked 5-8 km every day. In 2021, she had to strategize her washroom trips, because those few yards wiped her out for hours. Rheumatoid arthritis sucks rocks.
In 2020 we walked 5-8 km every day. In 2021, she had to strategize her washroom trips, because those few yards wiped her out for hours. Rheumatoid arthritis sucks rocks.
Something sweet to take you into the weekend.
December 19, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Something sweet to take you into the weekend.
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Me: (working on novel)
Brain: Hey, got a great idea for a novel. Not this novel.
Me: (typing) Not now, brain.
Brain: Don't you wanna know what it is?
Me: NOT NOW, BRAIN
Brain: I'm not gonna lie, it's SUPER cool
Me: LET ME FINISH THE NOVEL IN FRONT OF ME, BRAIN
Brain: Okay, I'm gonna tell you
Brain: Hey, got a great idea for a novel. Not this novel.
Me: (typing) Not now, brain.
Brain: Don't you wanna know what it is?
Me: NOT NOW, BRAIN
Brain: I'm not gonna lie, it's SUPER cool
Me: LET ME FINISH THE NOVEL IN FRONT OF ME, BRAIN
Brain: Okay, I'm gonna tell you
December 19, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Me: (working on novel)
Brain: Hey, got a great idea for a novel. Not this novel.
Me: (typing) Not now, brain.
Brain: Don't you wanna know what it is?
Me: NOT NOW, BRAIN
Brain: I'm not gonna lie, it's SUPER cool
Me: LET ME FINISH THE NOVEL IN FRONT OF ME, BRAIN
Brain: Okay, I'm gonna tell you
Brain: Hey, got a great idea for a novel. Not this novel.
Me: (typing) Not now, brain.
Brain: Don't you wanna know what it is?
Me: NOT NOW, BRAIN
Brain: I'm not gonna lie, it's SUPER cool
Me: LET ME FINISH THE NOVEL IN FRONT OF ME, BRAIN
Brain: Okay, I'm gonna tell you
"If all goes to plan, investors and Virginia taxpayers will make the company's owners very rich over the next few years, before announcing apologetically that they've reached an 'unexpected roadblock' with this highly speculative tech that does not yet exist."
Fusion power at scale is not yet a thing. "Taking it from research projects in labs around the world to commercial use has proved fiendishly difficult. A common joke in the industry is that, for decades, fusion has been just decades away."
December 19, 2025 at 10:49 AM
"If all goes to plan, investors and Virginia taxpayers will make the company's owners very rich over the next few years, before announcing apologetically that they've reached an 'unexpected roadblock' with this highly speculative tech that does not yet exist."
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How the Los Angeles City Council is spending Angelenos’ money
laist.com/news/crimina...
laist.com/news/crimina...
LA city attorney to hire outside law firm to fight use-of-force limits placed on LAPD
The LAPD was sued in June for its treatment of journalists during anti-ICE protests.
laist.com
December 18, 2025 at 12:06 PM
How the Los Angeles City Council is spending Angelenos’ money
laist.com/news/crimina...
laist.com/news/crimina...
Reposted
“Joe Campbell, a Pentecostal preacher who for half a century ministered to thousands of children across four states, has been arrested on child sex abuse charges, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday.“
Still not a drag queen.
Still not a drag queen.
Longtime children's pastor Joe Campbell arrested on child sex abuse charges
The former Assemblies of God minister was indicted in Oklahoma after an NBC News investigation revealed decades of missed warnings.
www.nbcnews.com
December 18, 2025 at 1:38 PM
“Joe Campbell, a Pentecostal preacher who for half a century ministered to thousands of children across four states, has been arrested on child sex abuse charges, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday.“
Still not a drag queen.
Still not a drag queen.
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It's a shell game. Trump is taking money from soldiers' housing subsidies to "give" them $1,776 "warrior dividend" checks.
Trump rebrands Congressionally-approved troop housing subsidy as ‘warrior dividend’ bonus
More than $2.9 billion in reconciliation funds was allocated to beef up troop housing allowances. Now it’s being used for $1,776 checks.
www.defenseone.com
December 18, 2025 at 3:14 PM
It's a shell game. Trump is taking money from soldiers' housing subsidies to "give" them $1,776 "warrior dividend" checks.
Reposted
December 17, 2025 at 8:31 PM
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Happy Maple Syrup Day!
Canada produces 80% of the world's pure maple syrup, and Quebec produces 91% of Canada's maple syrup.
It is something that is quintessentially Canadian.
This is its history.
🧵 1/12
Canada produces 80% of the world's pure maple syrup, and Quebec produces 91% of Canada's maple syrup.
It is something that is quintessentially Canadian.
This is its history.
🧵 1/12
December 17, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Happy Maple Syrup Day!
Canada produces 80% of the world's pure maple syrup, and Quebec produces 91% of Canada's maple syrup.
It is something that is quintessentially Canadian.
This is its history.
🧵 1/12
Canada produces 80% of the world's pure maple syrup, and Quebec produces 91% of Canada's maple syrup.
It is something that is quintessentially Canadian.
This is its history.
🧵 1/12
Just learned that Gil Gerard, TV's "Buck Rogers" in my childhood, has passed away from an aggressive form of cancer.
I don't recall seeing him in anything after Buck Rogers (which I was exactly the right age to enjoy), but apparently he worked steadily right up until 2019.
I don't recall seeing him in anything after Buck Rogers (which I was exactly the right age to enjoy), but apparently he worked steadily right up until 2019.
Gil Gerard Dies At 82: Star Of ‘Buck Rogers’ Leaves Posthumous Message For Fans
Gil Gerard, the star of 'Buck Rogers in the 25th Century' who battled cancer, advised, "Don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t thrill you or bring you love"
deadline.com
December 17, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Just learned that Gil Gerard, TV's "Buck Rogers" in my childhood, has passed away from an aggressive form of cancer.
I don't recall seeing him in anything after Buck Rogers (which I was exactly the right age to enjoy), but apparently he worked steadily right up until 2019.
I don't recall seeing him in anything after Buck Rogers (which I was exactly the right age to enjoy), but apparently he worked steadily right up until 2019.