Beth DeSombre
@bethdesombre.bsky.social
Songwriter, professor (Wellesley College, ES), activist, dog mom, runner. Songs that are “smart and uplifting...focusing on the quiet meaning to be found in ordinary life." Last year at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Every legal story now is either
Ancient Circuit Judge Delivers Crystal Clear 100 Page Rebuke To Trumpist Overreach
or
In Unsigned Shadow Docket Decision, 6-3 Majority Declares Trump Can Hunt People For Sport
Ancient Circuit Judge Delivers Crystal Clear 100 Page Rebuke To Trumpist Overreach
or
In Unsigned Shadow Docket Decision, 6-3 Majority Declares Trump Can Hunt People For Sport
October 3, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Every legal story now is either
Ancient Circuit Judge Delivers Crystal Clear 100 Page Rebuke To Trumpist Overreach
or
In Unsigned Shadow Docket Decision, 6-3 Majority Declares Trump Can Hunt People For Sport
Ancient Circuit Judge Delivers Crystal Clear 100 Page Rebuke To Trumpist Overreach
or
In Unsigned Shadow Docket Decision, 6-3 Majority Declares Trump Can Hunt People For Sport
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
So...my undergrad thesis student is doing a quality analysis of studies found in meta-analyses. She identified a few and we contacted the authors to request their effect sizes and other variables for the studies in their papers.
Here's what happened:
scientiapsychiatrica.com/index.php/Sc...
Here's what happened:
scientiapsychiatrica.com/index.php/Sc...
The Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health: A Meta-Analysis | Scientia Psychiatrica
Introduction: The proliferation of social media has raised significant concerns about its potential effects on the mental health of adolescents. This meta-analysis aims to provide a comprehensive asse...
scientiapsychiatrica.com
December 7, 2025 at 11:11 PM
So...my undergrad thesis student is doing a quality analysis of studies found in meta-analyses. She identified a few and we contacted the authors to request their effect sizes and other variables for the studies in their papers.
Here's what happened:
scientiapsychiatrica.com/index.php/Sc...
Here's what happened:
scientiapsychiatrica.com/index.php/Sc...
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
After much research and development I have made an offline version of ChatGPT.
Now you can save water and electricity while navel-gazing, and carry one of the world's most powerfully annoying AI chatbots in your pocket.
Now you can save water and electricity while navel-gazing, and carry one of the world's most powerfully annoying AI chatbots in your pocket.
December 5, 2025 at 4:03 PM
After much research and development I have made an offline version of ChatGPT.
Now you can save water and electricity while navel-gazing, and carry one of the world's most powerfully annoying AI chatbots in your pocket.
Now you can save water and electricity while navel-gazing, and carry one of the world's most powerfully annoying AI chatbots in your pocket.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Happy 76th Birthday, Tom Waits!
December 7, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Happy 76th Birthday, Tom Waits!
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
sorry I'm late! I have at last broken my silence on Pantone's Color of the Year johnpaulbrammer.substack.com/p/cloud-danc...
'Cloud Dancer': A Measured Response
Regarding Pantone's decision, and so on, and so forth
johnpaulbrammer.substack.com
December 6, 2025 at 7:55 PM
sorry I'm late! I have at last broken my silence on Pantone's Color of the Year johnpaulbrammer.substack.com/p/cloud-danc...
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
"are you enjoying duo mobile" does a hamburger enjoy being made of quarks. does a fish enjoy linear time. does the mountain enjoy the first taste of a cup of hot chocolate when you get back to the ski lodge. your question means nothing to me. i couldn't enjoy duo mobile even if i tried
December 3, 2025 at 7:36 PM
"are you enjoying duo mobile" does a hamburger enjoy being made of quarks. does a fish enjoy linear time. does the mountain enjoy the first taste of a cup of hot chocolate when you get back to the ski lodge. your question means nothing to me. i couldn't enjoy duo mobile even if i tried
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Some readers want us to say it's raining outside; others want us to say it's not raining outside. How do you navigate all of that? I mean how do you navigate all of that without putting in any effort like, for example, looking out the window and seeing if it is actually raining or not?
December 2, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Some readers want us to say it's raining outside; others want us to say it's not raining outside. How do you navigate all of that? I mean how do you navigate all of that without putting in any effort like, for example, looking out the window and seeing if it is actually raining or not?
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
This is actually quite brilliant, up to and including the final sentence 🔥
December 1, 2025 at 11:09 AM
This is actually quite brilliant, up to and including the final sentence 🔥
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
I’m dumbstruck by news of the death of Tom Stoppard—maybe because he hoarded all the words and knew how to use them better than just about anyone. I hope we savor his spectacular wit and erudition and argue about the politics of his plays forever. He was monumental, and also a kind and curious man.
November 29, 2025 at 11:24 PM
I’m dumbstruck by news of the death of Tom Stoppard—maybe because he hoarded all the words and knew how to use them better than just about anyone. I hope we savor his spectacular wit and erudition and argue about the politics of his plays forever. He was monumental, and also a kind and curious man.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Tom Stoppard, Award-Winning Playwright of Witty Drama, Dies at 88
www.nytimes.com
November 29, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Reposting my @cafedotcom.bsky.social piece from October ICYMI open.substack.com/pub/asharang...
So You've Decided to Target Random People with Military Force
Here's why it's illegal.
open.substack.com
November 29, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Reposting my @cafedotcom.bsky.social piece from October ICYMI open.substack.com/pub/asharang...
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
🔥POWERFUL AD ABOUT ICE AGENTS: “What will you say when your kids ask you about your day? A mask can’t hide you from your neighbors, your family, God… you can walk away, but the shame will follow you home.”
November 27, 2025 at 9:43 PM
🔥POWERFUL AD ABOUT ICE AGENTS: “What will you say when your kids ask you about your day? A mask can’t hide you from your neighbors, your family, God… you can walk away, but the shame will follow you home.”
If you wanna end war and stuff, you gotta sing loud www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaKI...
Alice's Restaurant Massacree
YouTube video by Arlo Guthrie - Topic
www.youtube.com
November 28, 2025 at 1:40 AM
If you wanna end war and stuff, you gotta sing loud www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaKI...
My (Canadian) spouse pursued this route towards citizenship. It's terrifying what could have happened if we were a couple of decades later.
I need everybody to read this and understand what’s going on. These are spouses of US citizens in the country legally. They have entry clearance and green cards, they’ve passed background checks and have no criminal records. ICE is taking them anyway.
Gift link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Gift link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Green Card Interviews End in Handcuffs for Spouses of U.S. Citizens
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 11:52 PM
My (Canadian) spouse pursued this route towards citizenship. It's terrifying what could have happened if we were a couple of decades later.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 24, 2025 at 5:54 PM
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Will also note that if you like someone's books and want them to keep writing, supporting them by buying their books or ordering them from the library if buying isn't an option, and encouraging others to do the same, has a HUGE impact. Relatively small differences in sales numbers are make or break.
November 25, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Will also note that if you like someone's books and want them to keep writing, supporting them by buying their books or ordering them from the library if buying isn't an option, and encouraging others to do the same, has a HUGE impact. Relatively small differences in sales numbers are make or break.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Again, every elected Democrat needs to put out a video stating exactly what Kelly and the others said. If ever there were a line to draw in the sand, it’s here. The military is not the president’s Praetorian Guard.
“Within the White House, Trump and his lieutenants aren’t planning on letting up…Trump has told some advisers that he wants RICO prosecutions and conspiracy charges leveled against the six Democrats, a source with direct knowledge of the matter tells Zeteo…
zeteo.com/p/how-we-gre...
zeteo.com/p/how-we-gre...
November 24, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Again, every elected Democrat needs to put out a video stating exactly what Kelly and the others said. If ever there were a line to draw in the sand, it’s here. The military is not the president’s Praetorian Guard.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Reacting to the presence of chatbots with assignment that ask students to look for mistakes in something they got a chatbot to spit out is not a sound approach to teaching your course material.
"GenAI allows seemingly limitless possibilities for assignments that
cultivate crucial literacies. For example, here’s the same old assignment caper that everyone and their AI dog has been suggesting for the past three years.”
#genai+writing
cultivate crucial literacies. For example, here’s the same old assignment caper that everyone and their AI dog has been suggesting for the past three years.”
#genai+writing
November 24, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Reacting to the presence of chatbots with assignment that ask students to look for mistakes in something they got a chatbot to spit out is not a sound approach to teaching your course material.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
November 23, 2025 at 7:13 PM
I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
Woo hoo! Can’t wait to read the final version of a project I got to read in progress.
A copy of the NEW BOOK by 2023-24 CASBS fellow Micah Muscolino, "Remaking the Earth, Exhausting the People," has entered into the Center's renowned Ralph W. Tyler Collection 📖
About this @uwapress.uw.edu book: uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295...
And check out Micah's awesome shout-out in the book (🧵)
About this @uwapress.uw.edu book: uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295...
And check out Micah's awesome shout-out in the book (🧵)
November 19, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Woo hoo! Can’t wait to read the final version of a project I got to read in progress.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
Barack Obama *ILL-ADVISEDLY* ran against Bobby Rush in 2000. He lost by 30%. Many of us absolutely knew he would lose at the time in Chicago. 3 years later he was running for Senate. Anyway, "waiting your turn" in politics is ridiculous. You run when you want to run & failure is fine.
November 17, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Barack Obama *ILL-ADVISEDLY* ran against Bobby Rush in 2000. He lost by 30%. Many of us absolutely knew he would lose at the time in Chicago. 3 years later he was running for Senate. Anyway, "waiting your turn" in politics is ridiculous. You run when you want to run & failure is fine.
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
the Democratic Party should have 2 major goals for the next time it holds power: (1) completely rebuild the destroyed federal government capacity, and (2) crush the GOP, which enabled so much corruption and immiseration. destroy their funding, jail their leaders, make it so a new party has to emerge
November 15, 2025 at 2:02 PM
the Democratic Party should have 2 major goals for the next time it holds power: (1) completely rebuild the destroyed federal government capacity, and (2) crush the GOP, which enabled so much corruption and immiseration. destroy their funding, jail their leaders, make it so a new party has to emerge
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
NEW: The first two years of Massachusetts' millionaire tax has raised $3 billion more than expected.
And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*
Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:
And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*
Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:
Millionaire Tax That Inspired Mamdani Fuels $5.7 Billion Haul in Massachusetts
A millionaire levy in Massachusetts that New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani holds up as a model for taxing the rich has generated $3 billion more in revenue than expected without forcing...
www.bloomberg.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:01 PM
NEW: The first two years of Massachusetts' millionaire tax has raised $3 billion more than expected.
And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*
Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:
And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*
Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:
Reposted by Beth DeSombre
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both."
Justice Louis Brandeis, born on this day in 1856
Justice Louis Brandeis, born on this day in 1856
November 13, 2025 at 11:08 AM
"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both."
Justice Louis Brandeis, born on this day in 1856
Justice Louis Brandeis, born on this day in 1856