David Perkins
@tecknow.grumbleware.com
Gay, disabled, curmudgeon, nerd. 40+ (he/him)
Blog updates at @grumbleware.com
Blog updates at @grumbleware.com
During the rest of the year I had more control over who I associated with, so this is the time of year I could most easily be trapped into desperately wishing I could meet their standard of proof, which looks _exactly_ like a lot of the attacks on Democrats.
December 24, 2025 at 4:03 AM
During the rest of the year I had more control over who I associated with, so this is the time of year I could most easily be trapped into desperately wishing I could meet their standard of proof, which looks _exactly_ like a lot of the attacks on Democrats.
I guess I have the opposite experience. People deal with their toxic families over the holidays and it brings out the worst in them. Even politically. My father's side in particular loved to use the Democrats to argue that I was lying about my politics. (My father was an eager Perrot voter.)
December 24, 2025 at 4:03 AM
I guess I have the opposite experience. People deal with their toxic families over the holidays and it brings out the worst in them. Even politically. My father's side in particular loved to use the Democrats to argue that I was lying about my politics. (My father was an eager Perrot voter.)
Oh, this is for the same reason RFK Jr. and his like are always going on about how saline is basically the only valid placebo control. They basically reject any transitive property of evidence and want every study to involve a saline placebo and/or natural course group.
December 21, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Oh, this is for the same reason RFK Jr. and his like are always going on about how saline is basically the only valid placebo control. They basically reject any transitive property of evidence and want every study to involve a saline placebo and/or natural course group.
I think part of the appeal of diagnostic language is that it invites you to speculate about who he would be or how he would act if the condition were somehow removed. It's an invitation to dream of a person who doesn't and cannot exist.
December 16, 2025 at 3:50 AM
I think part of the appeal of diagnostic language is that it invites you to speculate about who he would be or how he would act if the condition were somehow removed. It's an invitation to dream of a person who doesn't and cannot exist.
What do you think better coverage would look like, exactly?
Many people think that if the economy is doing well then anything someone needs or "should have" but can't afford reflects a personal failing.
Good coverage of the economy would address this, but I worry you have no plan for it.
Many people think that if the economy is doing well then anything someone needs or "should have" but can't afford reflects a personal failing.
Good coverage of the economy would address this, but I worry you have no plan for it.
December 12, 2025 at 10:30 PM
What do you think better coverage would look like, exactly?
Many people think that if the economy is doing well then anything someone needs or "should have" but can't afford reflects a personal failing.
Good coverage of the economy would address this, but I worry you have no plan for it.
Many people think that if the economy is doing well then anything someone needs or "should have" but can't afford reflects a personal failing.
Good coverage of the economy would address this, but I worry you have no plan for it.
The general Democratic view is that they shouldn't have to explain how to restore yourself because you get to pick for yourself. And I agree this should be correct. Unfortunately many people need a full explanation to sign onto.
December 2, 2025 at 11:30 PM
The general Democratic view is that they shouldn't have to explain how to restore yourself because you get to pick for yourself. And I agree this should be correct. Unfortunately many people need a full explanation to sign onto.
Different aspects of the Republican coalition offer different outlets but they basically all validate the view of overwhelming impulses and limited self control, and they all offer _something_ you're supposed to indulge into restore your willpower.
December 2, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Different aspects of the Republican coalition offer different outlets but they basically all validate the view of overwhelming impulses and limited self control, and they all offer _something_ you're supposed to indulge into restore your willpower.
A common framework is Democrat mom vs. Republican dad and it's entirely fair to point out the Gender of it all, but I think fear of ego fatigue is a huge factor by itself.
If someone thinks in terms of impulses vs self-control then the Democrats look like an unreasonable standard of self-control.
If someone thinks in terms of impulses vs self-control then the Democrats look like an unreasonable standard of self-control.
December 2, 2025 at 11:30 PM
A common framework is Democrat mom vs. Republican dad and it's entirely fair to point out the Gender of it all, but I think fear of ego fatigue is a huge factor by itself.
If someone thinks in terms of impulses vs self-control then the Democrats look like an unreasonable standard of self-control.
If someone thinks in terms of impulses vs self-control then the Democrats look like an unreasonable standard of self-control.
I think the media response has been somewhat muted because the obvious follow-up questions seem too much like attacks for the press to want to ask them directly. Like hegseth's views were not a secret, why wait until he has realized them to react?
December 2, 2025 at 6:47 AM
I think the media response has been somewhat muted because the obvious follow-up questions seem too much like attacks for the press to want to ask them directly. Like hegseth's views were not a secret, why wait until he has realized them to react?
Because the long-term benefits seem so clear to us, and maybe even are clear to the student, we basically ignore these sorts of friction but I don't think we can. They're not entirely dissimilar to change-back demands in recovery and we can't ignore those.
November 29, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Because the long-term benefits seem so clear to us, and maybe even are clear to the student, we basically ignore these sorts of friction but I don't think we can. They're not entirely dissimilar to change-back demands in recovery and we can't ignore those.
Even taking three cuing vs phonics as an example, the benefits of correct decoding are enormous, but to actually make reading easier long-term they have to give up the feeling that it's already easy, and they're going to start having arguments with their friends who can't decode!
November 29, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Even taking three cuing vs phonics as an example, the benefits of correct decoding are enormous, but to actually make reading easier long-term they have to give up the feeling that it's already easy, and they're going to start having arguments with their friends who can't decode!
I'll mostly stay off my soapboxes about this but one thing I try to stress is that students are often responding rationally to the context that was created for them, and unfortunately many students _will not benefit_ from learning the way we want them to.
November 29, 2025 at 8:42 PM
I'll mostly stay off my soapboxes about this but one thing I try to stress is that students are often responding rationally to the context that was created for them, and unfortunately many students _will not benefit_ from learning the way we want them to.
Doesn't a position like this deserve as much attention and analysis as your economic takes?
And honestly, your economic takes would be much easier to agree with if you talked about how they could be abused and what's wrong with doing that.
And honestly, your economic takes would be much easier to agree with if you talked about how they could be abused and what's wrong with doing that.
November 28, 2025 at 5:24 AM
Doesn't a position like this deserve as much attention and analysis as your economic takes?
And honestly, your economic takes would be much easier to agree with if you talked about how they could be abused and what's wrong with doing that.
And honestly, your economic takes would be much easier to agree with if you talked about how they could be abused and what's wrong with doing that.
If you recognize that this is important, why don't you spend your time writing about it? You regularly pepper your economic observations with qualifiers about how the distribution of gains isn't fair, and sometimes say stuff like this, but you rarely elaborate.
November 28, 2025 at 5:24 AM
If you recognize that this is important, why don't you spend your time writing about it? You regularly pepper your economic observations with qualifiers about how the distribution of gains isn't fair, and sometimes say stuff like this, but you rarely elaborate.
On a more positive note one of my medium-term goals is to get access to a spit, so I can do actual roasts. While much of the focus is on roast beef, roast poultry was also very common and there are lots of historical recipes I'd love to try.
November 24, 2025 at 3:13 AM
On a more positive note one of my medium-term goals is to get access to a spit, so I can do actual roasts. While much of the focus is on roast beef, roast poultry was also very common and there are lots of historical recipes I'd love to try.
Stuffing in the bird, obviously. The sandy texture is proof of love apparently.
It's just not fixable within the constraints.
It's just not fixable within the constraints.
November 24, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Stuffing in the bird, obviously. The sandy texture is proof of love apparently.
It's just not fixable within the constraints.
It's just not fixable within the constraints.
So part of the problem is that people will often get mad at you if you fix the problem. My own family thinks it's not really thanksgiving if you don't all eat the same bird, and I have like 40+ cousins. So they're proud the biggest bird they can find spent 12+ hours in the oven.
November 24, 2025 at 2:15 AM
So part of the problem is that people will often get mad at you if you fix the problem. My own family thinks it's not really thanksgiving if you don't all eat the same bird, and I have like 40+ cousins. So they're proud the biggest bird they can find spent 12+ hours in the oven.
One idea that I first came across in discussions of bolsonaro and the destruction of the Brazilian rainforest was the unique national resources are things that you need to take care of and that other people can have expectations about.
The kind of autarky they want cannot tolerate that.
The kind of autarky they want cannot tolerate that.
November 22, 2025 at 7:39 PM
One idea that I first came across in discussions of bolsonaro and the destruction of the Brazilian rainforest was the unique national resources are things that you need to take care of and that other people can have expectations about.
The kind of autarky they want cannot tolerate that.
The kind of autarky they want cannot tolerate that.
Being counted as opposing your own positions feels real bad and people are not required to react well to it.
And people will interpret any attempt to end subsidies for suburban living as an attack on their way of life in favor of urbanism. I've not seen one word dealing with that.
And people will interpret any attempt to end subsidies for suburban living as an attack on their way of life in favor of urbanism. I've not seen one word dealing with that.
November 19, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Being counted as opposing your own positions feels real bad and people are not required to react well to it.
And people will interpret any attempt to end subsidies for suburban living as an attack on their way of life in favor of urbanism. I've not seen one word dealing with that.
And people will interpret any attempt to end subsidies for suburban living as an attack on their way of life in favor of urbanism. I've not seen one word dealing with that.
So part of the reason that people are rightfully angry about this today. Is that it completely discounts both the coercion and miscounting that are going on. If I live in the suburbs because it's what I can afford, I count as one of those people who apparently prefers it against my own will.
November 19, 2025 at 7:34 PM
So part of the reason that people are rightfully angry about this today. Is that it completely discounts both the coercion and miscounting that are going on. If I live in the suburbs because it's what I can afford, I count as one of those people who apparently prefers it against my own will.
You're probably right. I wonder what the separation is? I also wonder if you can leverage the ability to reliably read a complex math expression to help them learn to repeatably read a sentence.
I bet you can, but it would end up looking like training them out of 3-cueing.
I bet you can, but it would end up looking like training them out of 3-cueing.
November 12, 2025 at 6:42 AM
You're probably right. I wonder what the separation is? I also wonder if you can leverage the ability to reliably read a complex math expression to help them learn to repeatably read a sentence.
I bet you can, but it would end up looking like training them out of 3-cueing.
I bet you can, but it would end up looking like training them out of 3-cueing.
Some kids are never taught to read a sentence the same way twice and that makes programming nearly impossible. I imagine it impacts basically all math and instruction-following too.
November 12, 2025 at 5:43 AM
Some kids are never taught to read a sentence the same way twice and that makes programming nearly impossible. I imagine it impacts basically all math and instruction-following too.
I've listened to interviews about this before (probably with the same person) and it really seems like, as far as they're concerned, only fiction exists?
I help people learn to program and learning about 3-cueing helped explain some huge hurdles that some students faced.
I help people learn to program and learning about 3-cueing helped explain some huge hurdles that some students faced.
November 12, 2025 at 5:43 AM
I've listened to interviews about this before (probably with the same person) and it really seems like, as far as they're concerned, only fiction exists?
I help people learn to program and learning about 3-cueing helped explain some huge hurdles that some students faced.
I help people learn to program and learning about 3-cueing helped explain some huge hurdles that some students faced.
Sorry about the wonkiness, I use speech to text when I'm not near a keyboard and sometimes I don't have the motor skills to go back and edit it.
November 12, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Sorry about the wonkiness, I use speech to text when I'm not near a keyboard and sometimes I don't have the motor skills to go back and edit it.
Phonics and whole word and other evidence-based methods of teaching reading are about supporting the process of orthographic encoding. Kids and adults don't continue sounding out gamiliar words forever.
November 12, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Phonics and whole word and other evidence-based methods of teaching reading are about supporting the process of orthographic encoding. Kids and adults don't continue sounding out gamiliar words forever.