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Penny P

@mstmompj.bsky.social
483 followers 175 following 219 posts

College writing professor, wife, mom to 4 kids; loves reading, watching MST3K, listening to RUSH and PT/SW, and other nerdy stuff.

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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Gee, could it be that people are spending more and saving less because prices are high and there's no money left over for savings?
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Alas, the tour is over for me, even as the #FiftySomething caravan thunders onward. #Rush #RushFamily
An image outlining statistics about songs performed at three Rush concert shows I attended in Texas in summer and fall 2026.
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
It's cloudy inside as well as outdoors in Houston tonight.
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Rep. Cain (R) says that offering "thoughts and prayers" on social after a public shooting represents mockery of the victim, suggests that "murder is a joke," and should cause someone to lose employment. Good to know.
houstonchronicle.com
Fired Texas teacher sues GOP lawmaker for defamation over Charlie Kirk posts
Brookreson says Cain’s posts fueled online harassment and threats, according to her lawsuit. She is seeking more than $100,000 in damages.
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
God, he's disgusting.
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Gwen C. Katz @gwenckatz.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Fuck ChatGPT flyers. The future is broadsheets.
A crowded broadsheet with way too many fonts. It says:
Forget ChatGPT Flyers
Say it with 
Broadsheets
Unlimited fonts
Stretch them
Or cram a really long sentence into one line for no good reason
No whitespace
Mix capital and lowercase
Pointing hands
(They're called manicules!)
Don't be left behind
Broadsheets are the future
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I was at the show when this happened. As I saw the drumstick fly, I thought, "oh, no!" I couldn't believe how fast Anika pulled a new stick out without missing a beat, all with a smile on her face. Alex later tossed the errant stick out into the crowd--someone got a memorable souvenir!
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
There may have been unrest in the forest, but I was super-stoked to get "The Trees" tonight.
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"Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux @bretdevereaux.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Higher Education is not just about training workers, but also about training citizen leaders and good citizenship in part means thinking that the details matter, that getting them right matters, because it impacts some of your fellow citizens. "It only matters if job" is poison to citizenship.
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
This never gets old--always brings a smile to my face!
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Statement from the Radio Television Digital News Association:
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lukelukeluke @lukelukeluke.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Me: I’d like a slice of pizza Server: that comes with three sides Me: I know what shape it is
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Urban Truth Collective @urbantruth.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Sometimes the WAR ON WALKING results in no sidewalks at all. Sometimes they put “something” in — but does that really make things walkable for anyone except those without any other choices? The #WARonWALKING takes many forms, but it’s always about making things comfortable for vehicles, not people.
Image of a wide concrete overpass with a huge truck travelling dangerously close to a thin, uncomfortable looking concrete “sidewalk.” The text says “Don’t buy the lie that there’s a war on cars. They’ve been waging a war on walking for a century.” Tagline at the bottom says the Urban Truth Collective. #UrbanTruth #WarOnCars
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
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Introvert Problems @introvertproblems.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The most healing thing for an introvert isn’t sleep, a hot shower, or a good meal. It’s a long stretch of time where nobody needs anything from them at all and just leaves them alone
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Billie Etchison @sybilte420.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
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Mollz (ballz) @dopestatistics.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOO
News channel fb post: The Little Tikes Company is giving some of its most popular toys a modern makeover, launching a collection which "reimagines the brand's best-selling classics in a sophisticated, trend-forward palette of soft neutrals designed to complement today's homes."


Photos show typical toddler toys such as the table, wagon, and car, but now made with no colors.
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The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 12/09/2026
"Double circle November 3 with a dark Sharpie. Because the key No Kings event will be Election Day."
lnk.thebulwark.com
Trump Wants to Exhaust Us. He’s Failing.
Election Day is eight weeks away.
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Vivien @vivien2112.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
If the future's looking dark We're the ones who have to shine If there's no one in control We're the ones who draw the line Though we live in trying times We're the ones who have to try Though we know that time has wings We're the ones who have to have to fly … #ThankGedItsFriday #RushFamily 🔩🎸🍷🎤🎹
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Vivien @vivien2112.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I have stoked the fire on the big steel wheels Steer the airship right across the stars I learned to fight, I learned to love, I learned to feel Oh I wish that I could live it all again… His words, music and heart live inside us every day… Happy Birthday Neil 🌹 Happy Pratturday ❤️ #RushFamily 🏍️🥁🥃
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Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Millennium math problem solved by OpenAI may have "regurgitated" competitors unpublished work... also they spent more than $22 million in computing power in one week to scoop them. techcrunch.com/2026/09/08/o...
techcrunch.com
OpenAI fought dirty on career-making math problem, says NYU mathematician | TechCrunch
There is a $1 million bounty for the first person providing a solution to the Navier-Stokes existence and smoothness problem.
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RiffTrax @rifftrax.com · 08/09/2026
The not-too-distant future is... tomorrow! Don't miss the premiere of The RiffTrax Experiments in theaters nationwide! Tickets here: www.fathomentertainment.com/releases/mst...
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
I'm holding out hopes to hear this during the Houston one-off show on October 1. That would be epic!
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Without saying your age, what is your favorite movie that came out when you were 20 years old?
static.klipy.com
Dirty Dancing: Patrick Swayze & Jennifer Grey
ALT: Dirty Dancing: Patrick Swayze & Jennifer Grey
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Maggie Astor @maggieastor.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I've confirmed Walgreens will let people self-attest that they qualify for an updated Covid shot—meaning they won't require proof of a high-risk condition—in all states EXCEPT AZ/OR/UT, where prescription is required for now. (Rx requirement in those states could change) Pls see next post in thread
nytimes.com
F.D.A. Approves New Covid Vaccines, and They Should Be Available Soon (Gift Article)
The shots have been approved for people 65 and older, and for younger people with underlying conditions. Others may be able to get them off label.
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Wouldn't want to waste $10M on human instructors or anything.
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raincoast.bsky.social @raincoast.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
More than 1.2 million Texans' voter registrations are suspended Check your voter registration www.sacurrent.com/news/texas-n...
sacurrent.com
More than 1.2 million Texans' voter registrations are suspended
Some voters dropped from Texas voting rolls may not be aware until they show up to cast a ballot. More than 1.2 million Texans are on the state's Voter
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Please know that most Americans stand with our friends in Canada in the face of this idiocy and will not be referring to the body of water in question as anything but Lake Ontario.
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Chaucer Doth Tweet @levostregc.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
SUPPORT THESE DATA CENTERS (from magic city books : magiccitybooks.com )
Support These Data Centers: Schools, Libraries, Bookstores, Museums, Public Media, Concerts, Elders, Farmers Markets, Record Stores, Theaters.
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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Using AI helps people get higher grades and get their work done faster, but they learn less & suffer on actual exams I saw this in my own large Intro Psych class: -the exam average is 85% -after AI, it shot up to 95% -after I made the final in person it went to 68% www.economist.com/graphic-deta...
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Maggie Harrison Dupré @mharrisondupre.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
NEW: Teen boys are using smart glasses — mainly Meta's AI Glasses — to film themselves harassing classmates at school, following girls around and "rizzing" them or "ragebaiting" them w/ insults. In several videos we reviewed, girls plead w/ the poster to stop filming. futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com
Teen Boys Are Using Meta Glasses to Harass and Bully Girls at High Schools and Middle Schools
Teen boys are using Meta's AI glasses to harass and bully victims -- overwhelmingly girls -- at middle schools and high schools.
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Maggie Harrison Dupré @mharrisondupre.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Every video we found was filmed/posted by a teen boy. The victims in videos showing clear harassment and bullying were overwhelmingly girls. One video showed a girl being followed by a boy begging for her social media handles, even though the girl had already told him "no."
A TikTok video shows a teenage girl walking through the front doors of a large high school. It’s filmed point-of-view style using smart glasses, and a hashtag in the caption reads “#metaglasses.”

“Excuse me, could I get your Roblox?” the adolescent boy wearing the head-mounted camera badgers the girl. 

“No,” she responds, glaring unhappily as she quickly moves past him. She keeps walking, but the boy filming follows her.

“Come back! Pleasepleaseplease!” he wheedles as the girl continues to walk away. “Your LinkedIn, at least? Your LinkedIn, please? Your Reddit? Come on, your Reddit? I know you have a Reddit!”

The girl, clearly uncomfortable with the unwanted attention, doesn’t turn around.
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AAUP chapter @UT Austin @utaustinaaup.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
“A dystopian academic nightmare.” A Texas University Is Using A.I. to Cut Left-Leaning Content www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/u...
nytimes.com
Texas Tech University Is Using A.I. to Cut Left-Leaning Content
The politician behind Texas’ conservative overhaul of higher education is now running a university system. Some say his effort to ferret out forbidden topics is a dystopian academic nightmare.
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
It can be hard to have the wisdom to know when to stop physical tasks. You want to push through and just get stuff done because you "should" be able to do it, imagining you're still 40 and not 50-something.
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Funnily enough, coveting someone else's really nice pen is the most relatable thing about Paxton. Actually stealing someone else's really nice pen is despicable and clearly, in Paxton's case, was a gateway crime in what has proven to be a long criminal career.
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
It's the left shoulder. Song lyric index runs 1978-1990, but maybe that's because I'm running version 59.0.
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Joshua Bowman @thalesdisciple.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Working on an A.I. policy for my calculus classes. Decided to be upfront about the current situation with LLMs and to give a heartfelt explanation for why the course still matters.
Al policy

Context

Artificial Intelligence, or "A.l.," Is a broad term used to refer to several different kinds of technologies. The kind most relevant to this class are Large Language Models (LLMs), which use mathematics to analyze large amounts of human-produced text and then generate new text that simulates what a human might write in response to prompts or questions. Some examples of LLMs are OpenAl's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude, and Google's Gemini.Current LLMs can provide a solution to any calculus problem I give you. So why should we work on them, you might ask? Here's the thing: for the most part, the problems were already solved anyway. Calculus as a subject is nearly 400 years old. It has reached into virtually every modern scientific and economic field. And while I would like to believe that I have crafted a few new problems with some small amount of originality tailored to this class, for the most part I have curated a collection of exercises drawn from my years of teaching calculus. Those exercises come from textbooks, workshops, friends, and other fields of study, as well as my own invention.
And they nearly all have known solutions, often with fairly standard approaches.
Before A.I. became widely available, you could find those solutions in another textbook, or from a friend's notes, or through a repository on the internet.The point of this class is not necessarily to solve problems that have never been solved before. It is for you to develop habits of thinking that are used by mathematicians, scientists, and policymakers-to develop a sort of mental toolbox that can be applied to new problems. If along the way you happen to find a new way of solving one of the class exercises, that's great! I am constantly learning new things from my students. But you will be bereft of discovery if you rely on a LLM for solutions to the calculus problems before you. Here I mean the discovery of having your own realizations, crystallizing your own internal understanding, claiming the knowledge in a way that cannot be taken away from you.
That ownership is what I want for you, and that is what the course is built around.
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
So much for defending women's sports.
houstonchronicle.com
A conservative group says sports are bad for girls. Don't believe it.
A new Heritage Foundation paper argues that women aren’t made for competition — and besides, it hurts their fertility.
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Ward Q. Normal (he/him) @wardqnormal.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
After they release this one , they will draft an executive order that declares the geocentric model of the universe is correct.
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Of course, cities themselves can't be educated, but this is a interesting map nonetheless.
visualcapitalist.com
%%title%%
Explore the 2026 ranking of U.S. cities with the highest educational attainment and strongest education systems.
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
"We're in Anika's band" has me laughing out loud. So cute.
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Guy Gavriel Kay @guygavrielkay.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Yes. We do not study the past with a view to feelgood vibes. Sometimes we encounter events and people that do that, but it is not the *purpose* of serious or just basically honest study.
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Vivien @vivien2112.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
No words… Honored and grateful. This is my band❤️ #RushFamily
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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Heads up: The Trump Justice Department says it's monitoring polling sites in four Michigan cities today: Detroit, Lansing, East Lansing, and Hamtramck.
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
If you have an academic in your life, please be gentle with them this weekend because they're probably freaking the fuck out.
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
I had a chance to see it on a big screen back in 1989, and man, that shot where the camera draws back to show the hundreds of wounded soldiers in the train yard...
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Penny P @mstmompj.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
I always thought it was "throw me in the shallow water," not "choke me." 🤔 Unlike most misheard lyrics, it would seem to make as much sense as the actual lyrics.
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Caroline Bishop @doctorepiscopa.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
10/10, no notes.
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