This paper has been a REALLY long time coming. It's about a course I taught for many years called Tools of Inquiry, in which I try to teach students to ask and explore their own mathematical questions, including with technology. It's a little like an introduction to research experience at scale!

If you've every heard me say that I like epistemological puzzles, this is what I mean. This version I copied is better than some, but I would edit the moderate cis/het tontería out of it. [Don't be a jerk in the replies, but it's OK to share thinking if you're unsure of your approach.]

Ok, I can sort of do this! But it’s hard. Having already read it in English, I’m getting 70-80% of the words with knowledge and context combined, plus memory, and it’s pushed over into just slow hard reading.

I would trust this stranger in an emergency.

I play trivia most Tuesday evenings at a local dive bar/restaurant. The host, Ron, is great in several ways. One is that he replaces the provided final round with a more interesting music round. In the last year or two, he has had a few guest run this round for fun. Last night, I took my first turn!

You’d think a 16yo living with me would get my FFVI references when I suplex her, especially since we’ve played it together. But she doesn’t have opposable thumbs and is a sweet fluff princess.

I've read a lot of romance novels this year. This is partly because I enjoyed the Heated Rivalry show, partly because one of my goals for the year is to be more proactive about not being single (the connection may not be obvious), and partly because I needed sweet/cozy things to manage trauma.

“These children are making me question my belief in ontological evil.” MM romance novel

Heyyyy, if you're local at all, come have a beer and yell about hot dogs! I promise to say the words "Betti number" and "singular homology" and also have silly props

Please note that it always those who already have power, privilege, and status who reject anything being "political" or "activism" while doubling down on the need for "objectivity" In academia/scholarship this argument for maintaining "objectivity" is itself political

The kerning on the clock on my Roku is bad enough that I think it has to be some form of intentional vengeance (on someone else).

Romance novelists, this word does not mean what you seem to think it means.

Bonkers that it took me this long to finally buy a Bluetooth controller that I can connect to my laptop. I feel like I can finally play on Steam! I'm (re)playing Crystal Project. The 3D geometry of the world is VERY important, and I just could not manage it on a keyboard, so this is WONDERFUL.

The Internet suggested this book to me.

Now THIS is my level of cozy. Librarian tries to summon Cupid but gets an incompetent demon who tries to help him connect with his crush who is obviously wrong for him (pretentious literary takes). The sudden roommates watch lots of GBBO and enjoy sweet coffee.

I didn’t love the romance novel I just finished (not for me, not bad). Book 2 in an MM series suddenly became a sports romance, the stakes were too high for my cozy needs, and I can now confirm that I’m not into the “monster f-er” subgenre. But both of my favorite moments involved the same person:

I'm pleased to report that I am promoted to the rank of (Full) Professor of Mathematics Education (effective Fall'26)! This has a complicated history for me, but it's at least a relief for this university to admit that I'm doing great work commensurate with this stage in my career.

@chadtopaz.bsky.social I just started a new romance novel. Narrator’s mothers run a B&B in Williamstown.

Is anyone in my circle an MS Word super-user? I have some technical questions about a template I’m making, and I’m lacking some formatting expertise.

“…And piglet is a twink. He’s in a situationship with a bear, who is very selfish.” Now that’s how you write a bard.

Official statement: I made a(n excellent) carrot cake this week that resulted in cream cheese frosting on my pants that I did not notice before going out into public. No one was harmed, some were scandalized. Thank you for respecting my family’s privacy at this time.

"Non-communicative ring" -sick burn

Great story of an 18th century farm kid's math notes www.tumblr.com/mathhombre/8...

“Dexterous, mischievous, and clever“ Go on, tell me I’m like an otter!

ALERT: Multiple students are using "sandwich" metaphorically in their presentations today!

My student was excited to show me the Tomodachi she made of me, especially that she got the earring correct.

Hot, semi-goth bartender asked to explain RenFaire to him tonight?

My colleague, Joel, is really cool. www.csulb.edu/news/article...

Today, BK with the ASL letters was recorded as… Pete

I'm way to tangled in knots to get anything but low-level repetitive tasks done, but I have a back-log of high-level creative tasks! Should I just give up and call it a vacation or try to work? Either way, I think I need to be with people in meat-space to do anything!

My friend just had a professional recording of one of her compositions drop! It's great. youtu.be/VwavGX1WGxI?...

I have realized that there are two load-bearing elements in my life that are a lot more fragile than I had realized. (1) My knee has been hurting. If I suddenly had to stop running, I might be in trouble.

Someone said something really nice to me yesterday: Apparently the service thing I led this year in which they participated was the best run service committee they've ever been a part of, both for equity and efficiency. The bar is low, but it's nice to be acknowledged for sailing over it!

I want a cute boyfriend. And to be more fluent in Spanish. And to have a gym buddy for the summer at least. A new video game and a tasty treat, and immortality serum for kitties. And a break.

Uh oh. There might be too much hockey in this chapter. But otherwise, I’m really liking this one.

My HS thesis for IB was a joke because it was not needed and was unsupported. I thought about acoustics as a singer and physics student. My uni thesis tried to combine two ring theory constructions. Wasn’t able to fully construct an “excellent” ring and committee hated “almost-excellent“.

I'm saddened to report that NONE of you has stepped up to share cuties with me.

Got good news yesterday (a step in something larger), but maybe the last uncertain one. It's nice, but (i) it's not over, (ii) it doesn't really feel solid, and (iii) honestly the experience is more about gazing at my PTSD wound. I think I'm too tired to manage my emotions for the next two weeks!

"I'm begging you, please, don't embarrass me, MF." Listening to Morgan Clae's cover on repeat.

It happened. Wordle 1,765 1/6* 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

I'm really happy this paper is finally out! It's about a course I taught for many years, and it ties together lots of my favorite and most creative ideas. It also deepens my contribution to the ongoing discussion of the nature of inquiry. [Jump to Section 3.4 for a fun image.]

I just got an email from "Person Heather". Definitely...

MILESTONE! I was sent something in Spanish for work this week, and I was able to read it with minimal dictionary support. In the last two years, my reading skill has grown tremendously, listening substantially, and speaking somewhat.

"Humanizing Defining in Mathematics with Sandwiches" by Katz, Lewis, Bagley, Bockting-Conrad, Ho, Libertini, Owens, Pilgrim, Salomone & Shillito about modeling disciplinary and pedagogical practices. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

“The only treat I’m particularly interested in right now are his thighs. (No pause) Fuck my life!” -Atlas —JJ Mulder

Surprise additions to my decorations.

Student just used carpooling as a metaphor for a homomorphism!

There ARE no heterosexual reasons to watch Gladiator. -RG/RR

Despite living at THE BEACH, I've always been more of an alpine girly. It would be so romantic for a cute dude to take me to a cottage. *This is legitimately not a HR skeet.

synchronized napping #Cat #Caturday