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williamlmiller.bsky.social
@williamlmiller.bsky.social
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Libertarian advocate for a UBI and ending taxation. Secular Homeschooling three children. Yoga Teacher and aspiring writer. My preprint of “Universal Basic Income and Value Realization” is at https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/hb6rn_v1
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williamlmiller.bsky.social
Notice how the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize got a dig in on those who think that they would have any love for Trump or authoritarian socialism. It’s a social democratic country steeped in the Protestant Work Ethic. Norway values markets and the profit motive. #NobelPeacePrice #MariaCorinaMachado
Screenshot of a post from the verified Nobel Prize account on X announcing that Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. The text emphasizes that democracy is essential for lasting peace but is in retreat worldwide, with authoritarian regimes silencing critics and undermining the rule of law. It praises Machado’s efforts for the freedom of the Venezuelan people and warns of growing authoritarianism. Beside the text is a photo of Machado smiling and waving to supporters during a public rally, wearing a white shirt and light cap, surrounded by cheering people.
October 10, 2025 at 6:17 PM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
Here’s a portion with “safe” within the word “safer”. #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #WIPSnips #Writersky #WriteSky #Semmelweis #Lister #History #Science
Just as Semmelweis had discovered, doctors and medical students often moved from performing autopsies or treating infected wounds directly to examining pregnant women, unknowingly transferring lethal microorganisms to their patients. Lister’s antiseptic methods, when implemented, drastically reduced these deaths, including those related to childbirth. With improved hygiene and sterilization practices, maternal deaths plummeted, and childbirth became significantly safer.
October 7, 2025 at 3:32 PM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
After finishing rereading Etiology, Concept, and Prophylaxis of Childbed Fever by Ignaz Semmelweis, I was once again moved by the last paragraph of the book. #History #Booksky #Semmelweis #ForgottenHero
When, with my current convictions, I look into the past, I can endure the miseries to which I have been subjected only by looking at the same time into the future; I see a time when only cases of self-infection will occur in the maternity hospitals of the world. In comparison with the great numbers thus to be saved in the future, the number of patients saved by my students and by me is insignificant. If I am not allowed to see this fortunate time with my own eyes, therefore, my death will nevertheless be brightened by the conviction that sooner or later this time will inevitably arrive.
October 3, 2025 at 2:20 AM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
Rand would be appalled by Trump. She did not suffer fools gladly.
Black-and-white graphic featuring a photo of Ayn Rand on the right. On the left, large bold text reads: “AYN RAND did WARN us in 1957.” Below, a block quotation from Atlas Shrugged (1957) is printed: “When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing – When you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors – When you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you – When you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice – You may know that your society is doomed.” The attribution at the bottom reads: “Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, 1957.”
September 27, 2025 at 1:04 PM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
The reason people feel compelled to argue against UBI is due to metaphysical errors that go all the way back Jean Calvin and his predestination based Protestant work ethic. @scottsantens.com references this error in his recent writing. #UBI #ethics #poverty #EconomicDevelopment
Bolded text on a white background reads: “By teaching us to view poverty as a moral failure of the individual, society keeps us from realizing that poverty is actually an ethical failure of society itself.”
September 14, 2025 at 12:40 AM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
This is an evolutionarily as well as economically significant gap that is starting to be addressed. During each of my wife’s 3 pregnancies with our children, she experienced the complication of gestational diabetes. Half the species needs to get more than 1% of the research focus. #RealProgress
Excerpt from an article stating that closing the health gap between men and women could add at least $1 trillion to global GDP every year by 2040, because healthier women participate more fully in economies and societies, according to Melinda French Gates.
September 11, 2025 at 12:21 PM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
Quote this with a book you read way too young that explains why you are the way you are.

I read It by Stephen King within a couple days at 11, the same age as the “Losers”. #booksky
Cover of Stephen King’s novel It (1986). The title “STEPHEN KING IT” is printed in bold gray and large distressed red letters on a black background. At the bottom, a paper boat floats toward a storm drain. From inside the grate, a green clawed hand reaches upward, hinting at the lurking horror below.
September 4, 2025 at 3:28 AM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
Let me tell you then that there has been a profound change in fundamentals over the last 30 years, especially the near elimination of teen pregnancies. Civilization works and crime doesn’t pay. In spite of our cognitive biases, we each improve our lives and those around us.
Line chart titled “40 is the new 20” showing U.S. birth rates per 1,000 women by age of mother from 1990 to 2023 (estimated), based on CDC data. • The 20–24 age group starts highest in 1990 but declines steeply after the mid-2000s. • 25–29 peaks around 2007, then declines. • 30–34 rises steadily, surpassing 25–29 by about 2017, and remains the highest group into the 2020s. • 15–19 declines sharply across the whole period. • 35–39 rises gradually, nearly matching 15–19 by 2023. • 40–44 increases slowly but steadily, approaching 15–19 and 35–39 by 2023. • The overall line labeled “All” stays relatively flat, with a slight peak in the mid-2000s before trending downward. The chart highlights delayed childbearing, with women in their 30s and 40s having more births now compared to younger age groups.
September 3, 2025 at 1:11 PM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
There isn’t a fertility rate problem. We’re simply adapting to the effective end of teen pregnancy which is a good thing. There are of course things we can do to ease the adaptation like welcoming immigration, but when we get through this we will be healthier and wealthier.
Line chart titled “40 is the new 20” showing U.S. birth rates per 1,000 women by age of mother from 1990 to 2023 (estimated), based on CDC data. • The 20–24 age group starts highest in 1990 but declines steeply after the mid-2000s. • 25–29 peaks around 2007, then declines. • 30–34 rises steadily, surpassing 25–29 by about 2017, and remains the highest group into the 2020s. • 15–19 declines sharply across the whole period. • 35–39 rises gradually, nearly matching 15–19 by 2023. • 40–44 increases slowly but steadily, approaching 15–19 and 35–39 by 2023. • The overall line labeled “All” stays relatively flat, with a slight peak in the mid-2000s before trending downward. The chart highlights delayed childbearing, with women in their 30s and 40s having more births now compared to younger age groups.
September 2, 2025 at 2:41 AM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
This was a really nice poem. Thank you for sharing. Precise measurement is not as necessary as may be presumed. Getting started with anything would do wonders. Even a marginal UBI could be leveraged to great effect due to the significance of the a/x (constant/variable) graph.
Line chart titled “Why a Fixed Grant Does More at the Bottom – Significance = Assistance / Income (S = A / x).” X-axis: Baseline income before assistance (per month, $), from 0 to 20,000. Y-axis: Significance (grant as a fraction of income), from 0 to 10. The blue curve shows significance decreasing sharply as income increases, following an inverse relationship. • At $100 income, a fixed grant is 10× income (marked with a point and labeled). • At $1,000 income, the grant equals 1× income. • At $10,000 income, the grant is 0.1× income (10%). An arrow points left with the note “As income → 0, significance → ∞.” The line flattens toward zero at higher incomes.
September 1, 2025 at 7:08 AM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
And the handwritten note adds:
“Ich wollte das Paket nur auf den Balkon werfen. Leider mit zuviel Schwung. Entschuldigung.”
👉 “I only wanted to throw the package onto the balcony. Unfortunately, with too much force. Sorry.” #TranslationFun #EverydayComedy
A DHL delivery slip shows the printed message “Your shipment was delivered to your neighbor. On the roof.” Below, a handwritten note from the delivery driver reads: “I only wanted to throw the package onto the balcony. Unfortunately, with too much force. Sorry.”
August 31, 2025 at 11:34 PM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
It’s #humpday and I am feeling one of my #depression phases begin to subside. As I lean into this transition, I am giving myself (and anyone else out there) the advice from one of my favorite books The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy:

Don’t Panic.

#DontPanic #booksky #FreeWillInAction
Bold red text outlined in yellow on a black background reads: DON’T PANIC. Book cover of The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. The artwork shows a green, smiling planet-like figure with arms, legs, and a tongue sticking out, giving a thumbs-up while holding a book. The background is a starry galaxy with the tagline at the top: ‘Five novels in one outrageous volume.’
August 27, 2025 at 11:23 AM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
This post from 10 days ago got me thinking. It’s not ironic so much as to be expected. Morality’s part of ethics which is shaped by free will. Legislating morality severely hampers free will. Since it undermines ethics and free will, it’s immoral & advocated by the immoral. #FreeWill #Ethics
A screenshot of a BlueSky post. The profile picture is a yellow circle with a black shape on the left edge. The username is EASTMAN (@eastman666.bsky.social). The post, made 10 days ago, reads: “Legislating morality is, ironically, pushed by those who are immoral.” Below are icons showing 1 repost, 14 likes, and an option to reply. The text “Reposted by you” appears above the post.
August 25, 2025 at 10:00 PM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
To be clear, it was redefined as a dwarf planet. Counting them all, we have five of them. Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Haumea, and Makmake. Learn their names. I teach them to my children.
Cover of the National Geographic Kids book 13 Planets: The Latest View of the Solar System by David A. Aguilar. The number “13” is large and metallic in the center, set against a starry galaxy background. Illustrations of the planets, from small rocky ones to the gas giants with Saturn’s rings, are arranged across the bottom. A bright yellow border frames the cover.
August 25, 2025 at 2:40 AM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
This is a rainbow I observed yesterday here in Texas. It got me thinking that even though rain falls where there is light there is hope. It is sometimes necessary to bring the light oneself. #Rainbow #Hope #LightInTheStorm #TexasSky #Positivity
A bright rainbow arcs across a cloudy Texas sky during rainfall. Its vivid colors contrast with the gray-blue clouds as faint sunlight breaks through, suggesting hope and light even in the midst of the storm.
August 22, 2025 at 8:42 AM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
…or 21 children per 20 adults each generation. It used to be 6. Most of the decline in birth rates in the last 30 years has come from ending teen pregnancy. This is an unequivocally good thing and we’re adapting to it, but this will take time.
Line chart of U.S. birth rates per 1,000 women by age group, 1990–2023. Teen pregnancies (15–19) and births among women in their 20s have fallen sharply, while births at ages 30–34 have become the highest, and rates for 35–39 and 40–44 have steadily risen. The chart highlights a major demographic shift: Americans are delaying childbirth, with later motherhood replacing the earlier pregnancies that once dominated.
August 20, 2025 at 12:02 PM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
I just finished the book Locked In by @johnpfaff.bsky.social It was great. His arguments were compelling and convincing. I recommend that anyone that has a chance to read it do so. #booksky
The cover of the book Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration and How to Achieve Real Reform by John F. Pfaff. The title appears in large orange letters above a black-and-white photograph of a prison bench with metal rings attached. A quote from Chris Hayes at the top reads: “A must-read for anyone who dreams of an America that is not the world’s most imprisoned nation.”
August 19, 2025 at 11:46 PM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
And this is why. Our median income is around the 10% of income for the world. Our poverty level is above the median income of the world. Immigrants can take low paying jobs and support whole families back how with the remittances. Accepting immigration enriches us and reduces poverty globally.
A data visualization titled “Find Your Percentile Position in Income Distributions Around the World.” It shows percentile rankings of annual income across multiple countries and regions. The vertical axis is annual income in U.S. dollars before tax (logarithmic scale, ranging from $300 to $400,000). Each country is represented by a vertical line of numbered circles, marking percentile points (10th, 15th, 20th, up to 99th). • Regions and countries included: • North America: United States (US), Canada (CA), Mexico (MX) • South America: Brazil (BR), Colombia (CO), Argentina (AR) • Europe: Germany (DE), Great Britain (GB), Russia (RU) • Africa: Egypt (EG), Nigeria (NG), Ethiopia (ET) • Asia: China (CN), Indonesia (ID), India (IN) • Oceania: Australia (AU) • Global average also shown. The chart demonstrates that the same income places someone at very different percentiles depending on the country. Example given: $30,000 per year is about the 50th percentile in the U.S., the 90th percentile in Argentina, and the 95th percentile in India. Data source: World Inequality Database.
August 15, 2025 at 9:52 PM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
3️⃣ Survivorship Bias
We see the winners and miss the failures.
In WWII, analysts mapped bullet holes on returning bombers to see where armor was needed.
Mathematician Abraham Wald realized the missing data mattered most — the planes that didn’t come back.
#CognitiveBias #SurvivorshipBias #History
Diagram of a World War II bomber viewed from above, with red dots marking bullet hole locations on returning aircraft. The damage is clustered on the wings, outer fuselage, and tail, with fewer marks on the cockpit and engine areas — illustrating survivorship bias, since planes hit in those critical areas did not return.
August 15, 2025 at 12:05 PM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
We don’t need makework. We need a UBI. Even a marginal one could be leveraged to great effect due the significance of the a/x (constant/variable) graph.
Line chart titled “Why a Fixed Grant Does More at the Bottom – Significance = Assistance / Income (S = A / x).” X-axis: Baseline income before assistance (per month, $), from 0 to 20,000. Y-axis: Significance (grant as a fraction of income), from 0 to 10. The blue curve shows significance decreasing sharply as income increases, following an inverse relationship. • At $100 income, a fixed grant is 10× income (marked with a point and labeled). • At $1,000 income, the grant equals 1× income. • At $10,000 income, the grant is 0.1× income (10%). An arrow points left with the note “As income → 0, significance → ∞.” The line flattens toward zero at higher incomes.
August 14, 2025 at 7:09 PM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
#SecularHomeschooling win. 📚
My daughter (8) read an ARC on the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, then we discussed it.
Her reaction:
“The crazy thing is that this really happened.”
History shows fear & wrath echo forward. Critical thinking starts here.
#HistoryMatters #CriticalThinking #IndieBookstores
Cover of the book Did You Hear What Happened in Salem? The Witch Trials of 1692 by Katie Kennedy, illustrated by Nick Thornborrow. The illustration shows two people in 17th-century Puritan clothing, one whispering to the other, with a red-tinted background of bare trees. Text at the bottom notes it is an advance reading copy, not final, dated September 2025.
August 12, 2025 at 6:13 AM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
On balance, people are poorest when they are youngest and enrich as they age. Over the last 30 years we conquered teen pregnancy.
Line chart titled “40 is the new 20” showing U.S. birth rates per 1,000 women by mother’s age from 1990 to an estimated 2023, based on CDC data. • 15–19: Steep decline from ~60 in 1990 to ~15 in 2023 — the largest drop of any group. • 20–24: Major decline from ~115 in 1990 to ~60 in 2023. • 25–29: Rises slightly to peak near 120 around 2005, then declines to ~90 in 2023. • 30–34: Increases from ~80 in 1990 to peak just over 100 around 2016, then dips to ~90. • 35–39: Rises from ~30 in 1990 to ~55 in 2023. • 40–44: Gradual increase from ~5 in 1990 to ~15 in 2023. • All ages combined: Slight decline from ~70 in 1990 to ~55 in 2023. The chart shows the sharpest declines among women under 25, especially teenagers, alongside steady growth in births among women aged 35–44.
August 10, 2025 at 10:08 AM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
Oh my gosh, I love Henry David Thoreau!

#Booksky #HenryDavidThoreau #Individualism #CivilDisobedience #FreeWillInAction
Book cover for Resistance to Civil Government: On the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau, with an introduction by Warren Bluhm. The title “RESISTANCE TO CIVIL GOVERNMENT” is in large pink uppercase letters, the subtitle “ON THE DUTY OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE” is in smaller dark blue uppercase letters, and the author’s name is in black uppercase letters at the bottom. The background is light gray with subtle textured patterns.
August 9, 2025 at 2:21 PM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
Assistance has 1/x power: the less you make, the more each dollar matters.
Recipients amplify it with creativity.
Screening wastes resources when the goal is impact.
Universality shifts policy from moralism to efficacy.


#UBI #Nomodynamy #FreeWillInAction #MathMatters
A line graph titled “Why a Fixed Grant Does More at the Bottom – Significance = Assistance / Income (S = A / x)”. The x-axis shows baseline income before assistance (per month, in dollars) from 0 to 20,000. The y-axis shows significance (grant as a fraction of income) from 0 to 10+. A steep curve starts high on the left and drops rapidly toward zero as income increases. Three points are marked: • $100 → 10× income, with an arrow labeled “As income → 0, significance → ∞.” • $1,000 → 1× income. • $10,000 → 0.1× income (10%). The chart illustrates that a fixed grant has far greater proportional impact at very low incomes and the effect diminishes as income rises.
August 9, 2025 at 1:58 PM
williamlmiller.bsky.social
I read The Selfish Gene as a teen.
Some found it cold. Others, reductive.
I found it honest.
It hinted at what objective compassion must look like in a mechanistic world—cooperation from elements preserving their own identity.
#SelfishGene #RichardDawkins
#ConcupiscereServat #booksky
Cover of The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins. The artwork features a surreal, abstract landscape with green hills and blue water, populated by strange pink and red biomorphic creatures with long legs and curved bodies. The title and author’s name are in large white text at the top.
August 6, 2025 at 12:24 AM