Yeah maybe I didn’t choose exactly the most polite and productive way to respond but did you consider maybe I might be having a bad day and maybe people can’t be perfect all the time even if they’re not having a bad day and maybe you were just being offensive?

I fail to see how it’s funny to tell a colleague the thing they are passionate about is something you can’t stand and wish to avoid.

One of the worst things is when you get upset about the way someone is treating you and then they get upset and it’s suddenly *all* about how you upset *them* and you have to apologise but they seem to get away with it.

Today at #100factorial we got out the other polydron shapes other than triangles. And what do you do with all the triangles we usually play with? Obviously you stuff them inside a great big truncated icosahedron. Well, temporarily.

The front yard of a fancy house has well-kept lawns and garden beds filled with river stones atop which stand big wooden plant pots. The plant pots are overflowing with very tall and very luxuriant weeds.

Each apartment in a tall building has a little balcony with a glass fence, and over one of those fences a man leans, looking down at the people below. I only noticed he was there because of his mop of extremely bright white hair.

I honestly don’t know how people do jobs in between meetings/events where they talk to people. There are so many of my work jobs that require me to have like three hours of clear space with no one talking to me to even begin them.

Good news! It’s fairly easy to give a compliment without talking negatively about someone else.

there are two types of fans of things- those who treat it like a hobby and understand it's ok to laugh at things you enjoy and those who use it to replace church or whatever in their lives and are very vigilant against Blasphemy

If anyone still reads long blog posts, I just wrote a reflection on our pilot project with Seattle Public Schools of last year. It was kind of an amazing collaboration. #iteachmath #mtbos mathforlove.com/2026/08/who-...

Who Deserves the Good Stuff? - Math For Love

A reflection on our pilot project with Seattle Public Schools to provide appropriate math challenges for gifted kids in general-ed classrooms

mathforlove.com

The bus driver whistles cheerfully but apparently randomly. Suddenly I realise that what he is whistling is not random but is actually “Better Man” by Robbie Williams.

Standing in the op shop, I hear a small voice. “Excuse me sir?” I look down and a small boy is looking up at me. “Have you seen another penguin like this?” he asks, holding up a soft toy penguin which is wearing a yellow rain hat. “I have not, I’m sorry.” “Oh.” He walks away dejectedly.

For several days two balls have been on the lawn in front of the local school: a blue basketball and a big orange ball with a smiley face on it. Every time I pass they are in different positions, but with the orange ball’s smile always towards the basketball.

Yf you spye a fadid signe at the syde of the roade that saith 'V short leagues to the Shack of Love'

Gosh I hate the command “simplify”.

You are allowed to be bad at things and just do them anyway.

I’ve been visiting workshops for various maths classes where students are supposed to be working together on problems with tutor support. What’s actually happening is the students are working individually in silence. It’s so sad.

Brilliant letter from Stuart Thompson to Jeremy Clarkson about his comments that benefit claimants should write weekly thank you letters to tax payers detailing how they spend their benefits each week.

Oh come ON! What is the point of a department email newsletter that you have to log into SharePoint to read?!

Morning

I have now listened to #PratChat83, the episode of @pratchatpodcast.com about Unseen Academicals. As usual, it was lovely and helped me enjoy the book more, not only because of the mention I got from @tansyrr.bsky.social .

David K Butler@davidkbutler.bsky.social · 7d ago

#read2026 Unseen Academicals, by Terry Pratchett This story focuses mainly on four people who work behind the scenes at Unseen University, particularly Mister Nutt who is very strange in multiple directions. Also there is football.

I certainly know viscerally what the students feel like when their questions are “too stupid”. Because mine were certainly too stupid for the IT team.

David K Butler@davidkbutler.bsky.social · 3d ago

One of the more frustrating days I’ve ever had to deal with at work, and it’s not even 10am yet.

One of the more frustrating days I’ve ever had to deal with at work, and it’s not even 10am yet.

My cat Oliver is “helping” with planning this week’s course visits to tell students about Maths Learning Support.

Three people stand talking to each other on the side of a soccer pitch, completely ignoring the game. They are all wearing inflatable soccer ball costumes.

Everything is exhausting so here is a photo (unenhanced, untampered-with, not fucking AI-generated, just taken by muggins aiming his phone in its general direction) of a marbled white butterfly.

No professional accomplishment has ever made me happier than this. theonion.com/translator-o...

Translator Of Original ‘Minions’ Epic Poem Slams ‘Sexless, Bloodless’ Film Adaptation

PHILADELPHIA—In a 4,500-word essay published in Harper’s Magazine, Emily Wilson, known for her popular translation of the Minions epic poem, blasted the latest film Thursday as a “sexless, bloodless” ...

theonion.com

Back in 2016, I wrote a sort of intellectual history essay tracking changes/debates relating to cognitive load theory. I've been wanting to revise it (and slim it down) and I finally did. pershmail.substack.com/p/how-much-c...

How Much Complexity Can One Theory Take?

A new edition of an essay about the creation of cognitive load theory

pershmail.substack.com

It feels like a lot has happened since I finished making the two-sided ruler constructions videos and blog posts. I'm still so proud of what I did.

David K Butler@davidkbutler.bsky.social · last mo.

#MathSky I've been obsessed with two-sided ruler constructions recently and I'm now working my way through creating eight blog posts about it. You can see the first two posts starting here. (More will come later as I make the videos). davidkbutler.xyz/2026/06/25/t...