Darren Simmons
@darrensimmons.bsky.social
He/him. Mathematician (ask me about groups!). Erstwhile fan of sport. De facto anarchist, not having a great time these days. Atheist, but usually not a jerk about it. Used to be @mathman_85 at the old place.
Views expressed are my own.
Views expressed are my own.
Pinned
Noticing that even I’m getting new followers, so…
I’m Darren. I’m a mathematician, and I teach math for a living, but most of the things I post about aren’t related to either of those things. Mostly, I tend to post about politics and current events, occasionally sports, sometimes media. Welcome.
I’m Darren. I’m a mathematician, and I teach math for a living, but most of the things I post about aren’t related to either of those things. Mostly, I tend to post about politics and current events, occasionally sports, sometimes media. Welcome.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
This got really sinister with the use of “back to normal” re: Covid. For people with compromised immune systems or a self-preservation drive, it was entirely normal to keep taking precautions. Their behavior continued to be normal, it stopped, however, being common.
December 7, 2025 at 3:49 AM
This got really sinister with the use of “back to normal” re: Covid. For people with compromised immune systems or a self-preservation drive, it was entirely normal to keep taking precautions. Their behavior continued to be normal, it stopped, however, being common.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
Here is my rant for the year and The Era:
We need to stop confusing the words “normal” and “common.”
It may seem trivial, but the differences between them are the differences between using stigmatizing language and descriptive language, they’re the whole piñata of difference.
We need to stop confusing the words “normal” and “common.”
It may seem trivial, but the differences between them are the differences between using stigmatizing language and descriptive language, they’re the whole piñata of difference.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Thursday that the Democratic Party needed to be “more culturally normal” and “less judgmental.”
December 7, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Here is my rant for the year and The Era:
We need to stop confusing the words “normal” and “common.”
It may seem trivial, but the differences between them are the differences between using stigmatizing language and descriptive language, they’re the whole piñata of difference.
We need to stop confusing the words “normal” and “common.”
It may seem trivial, but the differences between them are the differences between using stigmatizing language and descriptive language, they’re the whole piñata of difference.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
Stop. Getting. This. Disease.
Seems fine, mild even?
December 6, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Stop. Getting. This. Disease.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
It's honestly kind of funny that the premise here is that students are going to gather to watch the woman known exclusively for writing a bad essay do some public speaking.
another chosen grifter has gone through the riley gaines industrial complex
December 5, 2025 at 9:04 PM
It's honestly kind of funny that the premise here is that students are going to gather to watch the woman known exclusively for writing a bad essay do some public speaking.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
The fact that a second strike like that in an armed conflict is definitely a war crime should not completely negate the fact that *there is no war* and ALL the strikes are cold-blooded murder. The whole chain of command are murderers.
December 5, 2025 at 1:20 AM
The fact that a second strike like that in an armed conflict is definitely a war crime should not completely negate the fact that *there is no war* and ALL the strikes are cold-blooded murder. The whole chain of command are murderers.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
IQ is a measure of how good you are at IQ tests, which is something informed by how familiar you are with taking academic tests (& thus the quality of your school, which is in part determined by your parents' wealth, etc). there's nothing in particular that makes them a good test of intelligence
I saw this ad on the train and I’m curious how yall feel about it… I’m very much in the center, but slightly more towards than against…
December 4, 2025 at 6:40 PM
IQ is a measure of how good you are at IQ tests, which is something informed by how familiar you are with taking academic tests (& thus the quality of your school, which is in part determined by your parents' wealth, etc). there's nothing in particular that makes them a good test of intelligence
Playing a bit of No Man’s Sky on stream in about ten minutes as of this writing. Check it out here:
www.twitch.tv/mathman_85
www.twitch.tv/mathman_85
Twitch
Twitch is the world
www.twitch.tv
December 2, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Playing a bit of No Man’s Sky on stream in about ten minutes as of this writing. Check it out here:
www.twitch.tv/mathman_85
www.twitch.tv/mathman_85
Reposted by Darren Simmons
OU is as big of a deal as every other time in the past five, six years where people have targeted a trans, non-binary, queer or allied cis instructor in an educational setting and i desperately want people to see the forest for the trees
that’s all, thanks for reading. fuck off
that’s all, thanks for reading. fuck off
December 2, 2025 at 10:49 PM
OU is as big of a deal as every other time in the past five, six years where people have targeted a trans, non-binary, queer or allied cis instructor in an educational setting and i desperately want people to see the forest for the trees
that’s all, thanks for reading. fuck off
that’s all, thanks for reading. fuck off
Reposted by Darren Simmons
No one should have been able to accumulate as much power and wealth as him.
But the fact that an unhinged extremist has been able to is even more alarming... and no one seems to be doing anything to rein him in.
Literally everyone will regret it if he is not stopped. And soon.
But the fact that an unhinged extremist has been able to is even more alarming... and no one seems to be doing anything to rein him in.
Literally everyone will regret it if he is not stopped. And soon.
December 2, 2025 at 4:12 PM
No one should have been able to accumulate as much power and wealth as him.
But the fact that an unhinged extremist has been able to is even more alarming... and no one seems to be doing anything to rein him in.
Literally everyone will regret it if he is not stopped. And soon.
But the fact that an unhinged extremist has been able to is even more alarming... and no one seems to be doing anything to rein him in.
Literally everyone will regret it if he is not stopped. And soon.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
We seem to have only two choices when it comes to most consumer tech: a) standard evil by a multinational corporation; b) bespoke evil by a weird little guy
If you're switching off Firefox because of the AI shit, going to "Chromium but it's ran by a crypto compatible org whose CEO is a homophobe" is REALLY not the move, folks.
my god dude don't tell people to use brave
December 2, 2025 at 3:31 PM
We seem to have only two choices when it comes to most consumer tech: a) standard evil by a multinational corporation; b) bespoke evil by a weird little guy
Snowfall in southern Ohio, 2 December 2025.
December 2, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Snowfall in southern Ohio, 2 December 2025.
This is a great idea, and it should be implemented immediately. Some people need to see what their foolish actions are likely to reintroduce.
Just imagining how much better it would be if ALL news stories about vaccine-preventable illnesses were illustrated with pictures of people with the disease, not pictures of needle injections. If you must show something that people will find scary & unpleasant, make it the disease, not the cure.
I'm so tired of measles.
I'm also tired of people using needle shots on stories like this.
Show what measles looks like.
I'm also tired of people using needle shots on stories like this.
Show what measles looks like.
December 2, 2025 at 1:52 PM
This is a great idea, and it should be implemented immediately. Some people need to see what their foolish actions are likely to reintroduce.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
The Twitter account for the Turning Point USA chapter at OU seems to have only started posting last week with an anti-trans pressure campaign. And then, oh gosh, what are the odds that they just happened to immediately find someone who claims to have been discriminated against by a trans person?
December 1, 2025 at 10:14 PM
The Twitter account for the Turning Point USA chapter at OU seems to have only started posting last week with an anti-trans pressure campaign. And then, oh gosh, what are the odds that they just happened to immediately find someone who claims to have been discriminated against by a trans person?
Reposted by Darren Simmons
For my newsletter, I wrote about that college essay scandal that's gone viral and what everyone is seeming to miss:
It's about ATTACKING TRANS PEOPLE!!!
www.burnsnotice.com/that-viral-e...
It's about ATTACKING TRANS PEOPLE!!!
www.burnsnotice.com/that-viral-e...
That Viral Essay Scandal is (SURPRISE!) Actually About Trans People
A shoddy Oklahoma University essay went viral. Cis people think this is about conservatives whining for better grades. Trans people see a planned attack on a trans academic.
(Note for free subscriber...
www.burnsnotice.com
December 1, 2025 at 3:18 PM
For my newsletter, I wrote about that college essay scandal that's gone viral and what everyone is seeming to miss:
It's about ATTACKING TRANS PEOPLE!!!
www.burnsnotice.com/that-viral-e...
It's about ATTACKING TRANS PEOPLE!!!
www.burnsnotice.com/that-viral-e...
Reposted by Darren Simmons
we are well past the point at which anyone who cannot identify bad faith like this is disqualified from commenting on it
the girl and her mother are basically screaming THIS IS A BAD FAITH ATTACK ON TRANS PEOPLE at the top of their lungs and if you can't see that you're stupid or lying
the girl and her mother are basically screaming THIS IS A BAD FAITH ATTACK ON TRANS PEOPLE at the top of their lungs and if you can't see that you're stupid or lying
a lot of people debating the merits of that dogshit essay meanwhile the girl’s mom is retweeting demands to ban all trans people from teaching at any level. it’s forest for the trees shit
December 1, 2025 at 7:40 PM
we are well past the point at which anyone who cannot identify bad faith like this is disqualified from commenting on it
the girl and her mother are basically screaming THIS IS A BAD FAITH ATTACK ON TRANS PEOPLE at the top of their lungs and if you can't see that you're stupid or lying
the girl and her mother are basically screaming THIS IS A BAD FAITH ATTACK ON TRANS PEOPLE at the top of their lungs and if you can't see that you're stupid or lying
Reposted by Darren Simmons
i’m genuinely so convinced all of this has been a planned operation by the student and her mother (who is commenting on this publicly, and associated closely with the republican party), and big far right propaganda account going all in on it. this is designed to oust trans people from public life
December 1, 2025 at 6:09 PM
i’m genuinely so convinced all of this has been a planned operation by the student and her mother (who is commenting on this publicly, and associated closely with the republican party), and big far right propaganda account going all in on it. this is designed to oust trans people from public life
Reposted by Darren Simmons
How do people not see that the entire OU essay thing is just an attempt by this girl and the Turning Point chapter to turn her into another Riley Gaines grifting on trying to push trans people out of society?
December 1, 2025 at 5:17 PM
How do people not see that the entire OU essay thing is just an attempt by this girl and the Turning Point chapter to turn her into another Riley Gaines grifting on trying to push trans people out of society?
Reposted by Darren Simmons
a lot of people debating the merits of that dogshit essay meanwhile the girl’s mom is retweeting demands to ban all trans people from teaching at any level. it’s forest for the trees shit
December 1, 2025 at 4:42 AM
a lot of people debating the merits of that dogshit essay meanwhile the girl’s mom is retweeting demands to ban all trans people from teaching at any level. it’s forest for the trees shit
Reposted by Darren Simmons
Oh, the instructor who was fired for giving an F to a Trumpist loser for citing the Bible in a scientific paper is *trans*? It's almost like we're being eliminated from society one by one or something.
www.oudaily.com/news/ou-stat...
www.oudaily.com/news/ou-stat...
OU puts graduate instructor on leave after student claims discrimination on Bible-based essay grade
OU placed a graduate student instructor on leave after a student publicly contested a grade and filed an illegal discrimination claim after she received a failing grade on an essay
www.oudaily.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:46 AM
Oh, the instructor who was fired for giving an F to a Trumpist loser for citing the Bible in a scientific paper is *trans*? It's almost like we're being eliminated from society one by one or something.
www.oudaily.com/news/ou-stat...
www.oudaily.com/news/ou-stat...
Reposted by Darren Simmons
I think this falls in line with a growing push to recognize actionable harms when christian conservatives face things in public life they don’t like generally.
It’s the Hobby Lobbyfication of public life
It’s the Hobby Lobbyfication of public life
It feels surreal, and like a new even darker turn has been taken in the anti-intellectual part of rightwing populism
OU has put the professor here on administrative leave:
December 1, 2025 at 1:44 AM
I think this falls in line with a growing push to recognize actionable harms when christian conservatives face things in public life they don’t like generally.
It’s the Hobby Lobbyfication of public life
It’s the Hobby Lobbyfication of public life
Reposted by Darren Simmons
The first strike was also murder. You can’t just up and kill civilians on the high seas and then claim you were at war with them.
Reporter: If there were a second strike that killed wounded people, would that be legal?
Trump: I don’t know that happened and Pete said he did not even know what people were talking about. I wouldn’t have wanted a second strike. The first strike was very lethal. It was fine.
Trump: I don’t know that happened and Pete said he did not even know what people were talking about. I wouldn’t have wanted a second strike. The first strike was very lethal. It was fine.
November 30, 2025 at 11:53 PM
The first strike was also murder. You can’t just up and kill civilians on the high seas and then claim you were at war with them.
Reposted by Darren Simmons
We had a higher ed system that was the crown jewel for the world, and by the time these knuckle-dragging freaks are done, it'll be a roadside bible colleges and fake law schools
November 30, 2025 at 9:39 PM
We had a higher ed system that was the crown jewel for the world, and by the time these knuckle-dragging freaks are done, it'll be a roadside bible colleges and fake law schools
Reposted by Darren Simmons
This right here.
the primary thing that TPUSA provides to young conservatives is a blueprint for weaponizing the abject cowardice of university administrators against individual teachers and instructors, and university admins should take a long look in the mirror and think about what that says about them
OU has put the professor here on administrative leave:
November 30, 2025 at 9:10 PM
This right here.
So what you’re saying is, I need to step up my fucking game here.
@darrensimmons.bsky.social has swears! They've used 174 profanities in their last 1,972 posts.
🥇 "fucking" (37 times)
🥈 "fuck" (30 times)
🥉 "hell" (29 times)
🥇 "fucking" (37 times)
🥈 "fuck" (30 times)
🥉 "hell" (29 times)
November 30, 2025 at 6:50 PM
So what you’re saying is, I need to step up my fucking game here.