Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
@wardqnormal.bsky.social
Teacher, knitter, widower, Phish head, provincial park, strategy puzzle video game, type of volcanic crater, electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, species of moth of the family Tortricidae, ...
Pinned
New school year about to start, so a new thread for the alphabetical order commute playlist. This morning's drive started with "Dumb All Over" (Zappa) and ended with 4 songs titled "Dust" (Monks of Doom, Parquet Courts, 13th Floor Elevators, Elvis Costello).
It seems that I've unlocked a new stage of grief. It's officially been long enough since Steve died that people are asking if I'm ready to start dating again.
I'm not yet ready to start dating again, but I am ready to have people ask me if I'm ready to start dating again. Progress?
I'm not yet ready to start dating again, but I am ready to have people ask me if I'm ready to start dating again. Progress?
November 26, 2025 at 7:39 PM
It seems that I've unlocked a new stage of grief. It's officially been long enough since Steve died that people are asking if I'm ready to start dating again.
I'm not yet ready to start dating again, but I am ready to have people ask me if I'm ready to start dating again. Progress?
I'm not yet ready to start dating again, but I am ready to have people ask me if I'm ready to start dating again. Progress?
Reposted by Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
Handing back student work that’s been written by ChatGPT with a 0 followed by the comment “This essay will never stand in authentic wonder before the Beauty of God’s creation.”
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
Even God Is Worried About ChatGPT
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
www.vulture.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Handing back student work that’s been written by ChatGPT with a 0 followed by the comment “This essay will never stand in authentic wonder before the Beauty of God’s creation.”
Reposted by Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
1) genuine life changing moment of my early 20s was realizing I actually didn't have to do this at all. tell the youths
2) I feel like there's a class discussion to be had around the stakes of this kind of decision though
2) I feel like there's a class discussion to be had around the stakes of this kind of decision though
So many men go through life like that. You can play poker because it's right-coded, you can't enjoy fruity alcoholic drinks because they're women-coded, you can't lick an ice cream cone because it's gay-coded. All day, every day, choosing and judging things based on coding for narrow norms.
November 26, 2025 at 3:43 PM
1) genuine life changing moment of my early 20s was realizing I actually didn't have to do this at all. tell the youths
2) I feel like there's a class discussion to be had around the stakes of this kind of decision though
2) I feel like there's a class discussion to be had around the stakes of this kind of decision though
Reposted by Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
The training/socialization of men starts instantly and goes hard. Everything you might like is too gay, too feminine. You are required to hate yourself for being insufficiently masculine, to blame others for that feeling, and to hate everyone who doesn't "respect" your manliness.
November 26, 2025 at 3:15 PM
The training/socialization of men starts instantly and goes hard. Everything you might like is too gay, too feminine. You are required to hate yourself for being insufficiently masculine, to blame others for that feeling, and to hate everyone who doesn't "respect" your manliness.
No exaggeration, one of the happiest days of my life was the day I realized I no longer had to pretend to like football.
Men, stop wasting your life worrying about other people's perceptions of your masculinity. Just do what makes you happy, so long as it doesn't cause others pain.
Men, stop wasting your life worrying about other people's perceptions of your masculinity. Just do what makes you happy, so long as it doesn't cause others pain.
So many men go through life like that. You can play poker because it's right-coded, you can't enjoy fruity alcoholic drinks because they're women-coded, you can't lick an ice cream cone because it's gay-coded. All day, every day, choosing and judging things based on coding for narrow norms.
November 26, 2025 at 5:31 PM
No exaggeration, one of the happiest days of my life was the day I realized I no longer had to pretend to like football.
Men, stop wasting your life worrying about other people's perceptions of your masculinity. Just do what makes you happy, so long as it doesn't cause others pain.
Men, stop wasting your life worrying about other people's perceptions of your masculinity. Just do what makes you happy, so long as it doesn't cause others pain.
Reposted by Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
The big “why do you hate AI?” Thread got comments and quotes turned off, but here’s the main reason I hate AI:
It’s being developed by the worst people on the planet solely to enrich themselves at the expense and labor of the world’s vulnerable populations. Everything else stems from that
It’s being developed by the worst people on the planet solely to enrich themselves at the expense and labor of the world’s vulnerable populations. Everything else stems from that
May 18, 2025 at 3:48 AM
The big “why do you hate AI?” Thread got comments and quotes turned off, but here’s the main reason I hate AI:
It’s being developed by the worst people on the planet solely to enrich themselves at the expense and labor of the world’s vulnerable populations. Everything else stems from that
It’s being developed by the worst people on the planet solely to enrich themselves at the expense and labor of the world’s vulnerable populations. Everything else stems from that
Reposted by Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
Half of progressive politics is Knowing Who To Be Mad At, and a lot of you bitches are flunking the course.
November 26, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Half of progressive politics is Knowing Who To Be Mad At, and a lot of you bitches are flunking the course.
Reposted by Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
My public service announcement for today is that America’s Test Kitchen, which is infinitely better then NYTimes Cooking, has introduced a new gift link option that has no limit on how many you can share and each link lasts 30 days.
November 25, 2025 at 10:05 PM
My public service announcement for today is that America’s Test Kitchen, which is infinitely better then NYTimes Cooking, has introduced a new gift link option that has no limit on how many you can share and each link lasts 30 days.
Y'all are gonna make me mute the word "pie," aren't you?
November 25, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Y'all are gonna make me mute the word "pie," aren't you?
I'm making Beef Wellington for Thanksgiving. I wanted a project, and boy have I got a project. It's a beast.
November 25, 2025 at 10:16 PM
I'm making Beef Wellington for Thanksgiving. I wanted a project, and boy have I got a project. It's a beast.
Reposted by Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
the only good thing about genAI is that it got me to really love seeing bad art, because I know a person put in time and effort, made themselves vulnerable by showing it to others, and is trying to improve. I value that more than anything now
November 20, 2025 at 12:51 AM
the only good thing about genAI is that it got me to really love seeing bad art, because I know a person put in time and effort, made themselves vulnerable by showing it to others, and is trying to improve. I value that more than anything now
I have an inspiration for this year's holiday card. It's not a great idea, but it's something that might be a fun challenge to make. It could take me several days of work, and I am confident that a significant percentage of people who see it will assume it's just generative AI. So maybe not.
November 25, 2025 at 7:37 PM
I have an inspiration for this year's holiday card. It's not a great idea, but it's something that might be a fun challenge to make. It could take me several days of work, and I am confident that a significant percentage of people who see it will assume it's just generative AI. So maybe not.
Don't remember my first CD. Never bought a lot of cassettes, but...
Cassette: Dead Milkmen, "Big Lizard in My Backyard"
Vinyl: Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" and Elvis Costello "Armed Forces," bought on the same trip to Appletree Records in Normal, IL.
Cassette: Dead Milkmen, "Big Lizard in My Backyard"
Vinyl: Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" and Elvis Costello "Armed Forces," bought on the same trip to Appletree Records in Normal, IL.
Okay, who remembers the first cassette tape/CD they ever purchased? For me:
CD: Pink Floyd's The Wall
cassette: Styx's Kilroy Was Here
CD: Pink Floyd's The Wall
cassette: Styx's Kilroy Was Here
November 25, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Don't remember my first CD. Never bought a lot of cassettes, but...
Cassette: Dead Milkmen, "Big Lizard in My Backyard"
Vinyl: Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" and Elvis Costello "Armed Forces," bought on the same trip to Appletree Records in Normal, IL.
Cassette: Dead Milkmen, "Big Lizard in My Backyard"
Vinyl: Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" and Elvis Costello "Armed Forces," bought on the same trip to Appletree Records in Normal, IL.
Reposted by Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
(A) stop feeling pressure to be perfect;
(B) normalize asking questions, because that is normalizing learning;
(C) do not ask AI if your turkey is done; ask a meat thermometer
(B) normalize asking questions, because that is normalizing learning;
(C) do not ask AI if your turkey is done; ask a meat thermometer
This is so soulless, I can't stand it. We have BRAINS. We can USE THEM.
November 25, 2025 at 5:56 PM
(A) stop feeling pressure to be perfect;
(B) normalize asking questions, because that is normalizing learning;
(C) do not ask AI if your turkey is done; ask a meat thermometer
(B) normalize asking questions, because that is normalizing learning;
(C) do not ask AI if your turkey is done; ask a meat thermometer
Reposted by Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
"device hoarding" is a phrase that would have made my grandparents become the Joker
stupid young people, stop buying a new phone every year if you don't want to be broke. wait no, not like that.
November 25, 2025 at 6:28 PM
"device hoarding" is a phrase that would have made my grandparents become the Joker
Being John Malkovich, but with Muppets. John Malkovich still plays himself, but all the other parts are played by Muppets.
If you were a despotic president, what movie would you force Hollywood to make? I want to see Quentin's Star Trek movie or maybe Kill Bill Vol 3.
November 25, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Being John Malkovich, but with Muppets. John Malkovich still plays himself, but all the other parts are played by Muppets.
Bed Bath and Bewildered
November 25, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Bed Bath and Bewildered
Reposted by Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
It's weird to not only have lived through an information revolution but also now living through its undoing, all within less than a generation.
Google at its peak was basically the best information retrieval system in human history and they and every competitor decided going from there to “you didn’t want answers you wanted half-assed auto-complete 80%-wrong hallucinations” in a few years was the right idea
November 25, 2025 at 12:19 PM
It's weird to not only have lived through an information revolution but also now living through its undoing, all within less than a generation.
Reposted by Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
I wonder how many people are gonna catastrophically fuck up thanksgiving by using chatgpt for their recipes
November 25, 2025 at 4:07 PM
I wonder how many people are gonna catastrophically fuck up thanksgiving by using chatgpt for their recipes
Reposted by Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
If you want to feel old, we are now further from the formation of the Kenorland Supercontinent than the formation of the Kenorland Supercontinent is from the formation of the Solar System.
November 25, 2025 at 5:35 AM
If you want to feel old, we are now further from the formation of the Kenorland Supercontinent than the formation of the Kenorland Supercontinent is from the formation of the Solar System.
Reposted by Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
If you know anything about autism politics, you know this is a BFD.
November 24, 2025 at 11:25 PM
If you know anything about autism politics, you know this is a BFD.
Reposted by Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
WOW! Autism Society of America, The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, the Autism Science Foundation, the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network and Autism Speaks put out a statement denouncing the CDC changing its website on vaccines
autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/lead...
autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/lead...
Leading Autism and Disability Organizations Statement on CDC's Vaccines and Autism Page
As national organizations dedicated to advancing the well-being of autistic individuals and partners across the disability and public health sectors, we are deeply disappointed by the latest update to...
autisticadvocacy.org
November 24, 2025 at 11:18 PM
WOW! Autism Society of America, The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, the Autism Science Foundation, the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network and Autism Speaks put out a statement denouncing the CDC changing its website on vaccines
autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/lead...
autisticadvocacy.org/2025/11/lead...
Reposted by Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
Oh wow, the person who fueled the moral panic about trans kids is doing the same with autism. Big shock.
November 24, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Oh wow, the person who fueled the moral panic about trans kids is doing the same with autism. Big shock.
All I'm sayin' is that we didn't bail out Ty when Beanie Babies crashed.
November 24, 2025 at 11:32 PM
All I'm sayin' is that we didn't bail out Ty when Beanie Babies crashed.
Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Charlie Brown.
November 24, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Charlie Brown.