AnthonyB's recent activity
-
Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of November 9 in ~society
-
Comment on Why parents love a school with bogus numbers in ~life
AnthonyB Link ParentMaybe. I suspect that the type of kids who excel in that environment also have some sort of motivation, be it a genuine interest in learning, or pressure from their parents who are dropping 75k. A...Maybe. I suspect that the type of kids who excel in that environment also have some sort of motivation, be it a genuine interest in learning, or pressure from their parents who are dropping 75k. A lot of those kids end up doing well wherever you put them.
To be clear, I'm not skeptical of the idea of 1-on-1 learning + self-directed workshops. There's a lot of evidence from other programs that suggests that's one of the most effective ways to learn. I'm skeptical of the efficacy of whatever AI-powered voodoo they're basing this on. I don't know how the AI could meaningfully personalize the approach or connect with the types of kids (smart or stupid) who often find themselves bored or disinterested.
-
Comment on California Gov. Gavin Newsom commutes all 548 death sentences in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentSure, and a big part of that is trying to capture audience attention. But at the local level, it's not really informative or meaningful. If some guy I don't know kills another guy I don't know,...Sure, and a big part of that is trying to capture audience attention. But at the local level, it's not really informative or meaningful. If some guy I don't know kills another guy I don't know, that has zero impact on my life. It's basically gossip. Gruesome gossip, but gossip nonetheless.
The problem is that local news' over reporting on crime gives the viewer a false impression of their community, which might have something to with our national bloodlust towards people who have committed crimes.
Meanwhile, the bigger stories that have a greater impact on the community go underreported. In my neck of the woods, there was pretty big scandal that involved the governor, a senate candidate, Medicaid fraud, and a possible slush fund that sent money to a PAC that opposed citizen-led ballot initiatives. It's pretty complicated and information was slow to come out, but it's juicy gos and there's plenty of rage-inducing material to work with. However, my local station that I watch with my stepdad every day covered it as the top story one time. Every other day it's crime, or, if they're feeling useful, traffic (accidents), and weather.
-
Comment on Why parents love a school with bogus numbers in ~life
AnthonyB LinkWow. I had never heard of Alpha. Their pitch is.....something. So, if I have this right, someone basically just took a Montessori school, slapped some apps and AI onto it, then sold it as 8-Minute...Wow. I had never heard of Alpha. Their pitch is.....something.
What if your child could crush academics in just 2 hours and spend the rest of their day unlocking limitless potential?
Alpha’s 2 Hour Learning model harnesses the power of AI technology to provide each student with personalized one-on-one learning, accelerating mastery and giving them the gift of time.
With core academics completed in the mornings, they can use their afternoons to explore tons of workshops that allow them to pursue their passions and learn real-world skills at school.
The truth is clear: Your kids can accomplish twice as much if they’re not sitting in a one-size-fits-all classroom for 6 hours. Alpha students are limitless, and we’ve built a limitless environment that unlocks their potential.
So, if I have this right, someone basically just took a Montessori school, slapped some apps and AI onto it, then sold it as 8-Minute Abs for your child's mind? Fascinating. They better serve Soylent for lunch at Alpha School. I'm not paying 75k to have my son waste time chewing food when he could be getting optimized nutrients in seconds. Less time eating = more time crushing, brah.
Because Arizona’s Unbound Academy is a free public charter school based around the Alpha online platform, that particular school’s performance promises a window into the method’s effectiveness that is less distorted by selection bias.
The first year of results from Unbound, which came out earlier this month, are not encouraging on that front. Alpha had told the state of Arizona that it hoped to get 65% of the school’s students proficient in English language arts and 60% proficient in math. (The statewide averages are 42% and 34%, respectively.)
Instead, after one year, just 28% were proficient in English language arts and 10% in math.
I am Jack's complete lack of surprise.
A few years ago, my classroom was selected to participate in a pilot program for a math app. Half of the students would use the app a few hours per week (some with scaffolding, others on their own), and we would measure measure their development compared to the rest of the class. Mind you, this was a Head Start in a neighborhood that was in the 99th percentile of the CDC's social vulnerability index - the poorest of the poor. At the end of the year, we found that there was no meaningful difference between the groups. The students who saw the most improvement were the ones that had a solid foundation to begin with, and their growth was on par with what we would expect without the app. The rest of the kids just liked the cute sounds and animations.
I'm just a teacher, so to present myself as a researcher would be like a nurse presenting themself as a doctor, but there's probably a good reason why, after all these years, programs like Montessori and Reggio Emilia stick to the basics. There aren't a lot of miracle solutions, seven easy steps, or shortcuts that work as advertised.
-
Comment on US Democrats win enough seats nationwide to (potentially) end Electoral College via the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentNot that I would ever trust the Democrats to win a messaging battle on anything that isn't directly related to a massive Republican fuckup, but wouldn't now be the best possible time to make that...Not that I would ever trust the Democrats to win a messaging battle on anything that isn't directly related to a massive Republican fuckup, but wouldn't now be the best possible time to make that case with Texas going blue? Everyone is always a prisoner of the moment, and if that holds, Republicans are pretty much screwed.
-
Comment on US Democrats win enough seats nationwide to (potentially) end Electoral College via the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact in ~society
-
Comment on California Gov. Gavin Newsom commutes all 548 death sentences in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentBefore I waste a bunch of time watching local Canadian news stations on YouTube, can I just ask if yours are also very reactionary and lead with the most rage-inducing crime of the day? Because...Before I waste a bunch of time watching local Canadian news stations on YouTube, can I just ask if yours are also very reactionary and lead with the most rage-inducing crime of the day? Because that's kind of the special sauce that keeps the wild west gene active in our country.
-
Comment on 2026 United States midterm elections megathread in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentHey, we're still in the 72-hour window of hope. Let us dream! I don't want to hear or read the words "Supreme Court" without the phrase "packin that bitch in '28" but yeah you're probably rightHey, we're still in the 72-hour window of hope. Let us dream! I don't want to hear or read the words "Supreme Court" without the phrase "packin that bitch in '28"
but yeah you're probably right
-
Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
AnthonyB Link ParentMajor Bone Temple spoilers, but this comment made me go back and watch my favorite scene. One of my favorite curveballs/tone shifts in recent memory. If you're gonna commit to the bit, you better...Major Bone Temple spoilers, but this comment made me go back and watch my favorite scene. One of my favorite curveballs/tone shifts in recent memory. If you're gonna commit to the bit, you better give 100%
-
Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
AnthonyB Link ParentI can't wait to see that. How To with John Wilson was one of my favorite shows. What a unique individual.I can't wait to see that. How To with John Wilson was one of my favorite shows. What a unique individual.
-
Comment on 2026 United States midterm elections megathread in ~society
AnthonyB LinkGood news, everyone! With last night's victories, Democrats have secured power in enough states to potentially make the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact surpass the 270 mark to secure the...Good news, everyone!
With last night's victories, Democrats have secured power in enough states to potentially make the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact surpass the 270 mark to secure the presidency! So instead of having presidential candidates fight for the votes of a few thousand dipshits across three or four states, we could have presidential candidates fighting for the votes of 150 million dipshits across the country! Dipshits like meeeeeeeeee! Woo!
-
Comment on 2026 United States midterm elections megathread in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentTell me about it. I spent the past few months grinding calls and knocking doors for Angie and it sure does sting quite a bit. Moody was such an awful candidate and the ads that she ran might've...Tell me about it. I spent the past few months grinding calls and knocking doors for Angie and it sure does sting quite a bit. Moody was such an awful candidate and the ads that she ran might've been the difference. I'm just glad MI and SC flipped because I would've lost my mind it they lost as well. She'll be back in two years and the conditions will probably be even more favorable.
-
Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of November 2 in ~society
AnthonyB (edited )Link ParentI wholeheartedly agree with what you're saying, and I personally feel nervous for Jewish people given the current climate. If you go look at anything on social media related to Judaism, Jews, or...I wholeheartedly agree with what you're saying, and I personally feel nervous for Jewish people given the current climate. If you go look at anything on social media related to Judaism, Jews, or Israel, you will be bombarded with heinous open antisemitism. We're at the point where the closest thing to a dog whistle is the word "goy" and everything else is straight out of Goebbels's Pinterest board.
I'm talking about the stories like this that focus on Jewish Democrats who won't vote for Abdul because of his unwillingness to support Israel due to its actions in the region. The reason why I crossed out "afraid" is because the theme of these pieces is fear. Fear that Abdul is antisemitic. Fear that Abdul has separate allegiances. Fear that Abdul will make the United States more dangerous for Jews. All this despite the fact that time and time again, Abdul El-Seyed has made it clear that he respects and reverse Jewish people and that his issues are with the actions of a country that doesn't represent all Jews.
I don't know how else to put it. If you won't support a candidate that you broadly agree with, only because he won't support an apartheid state that is currently charged with war crimes and genocide, whether you're actually afraid of him or not, that's racism. And like other forms of racism, it is a product of our social conditioning, and I'm willing to bet that a lot of the people featured in those stories don't think they're being racist or bigoted in any way, but it is what it is.
The unfortunate reality is that there'll be some tiny percentage of people who will not internalize that the Israeli government and Jewish people are not the same thing. That's a real danger.
Yes. And that is another reason why the media environment and Democratic Party leadership is absolutely fucked right now, because they cynically conflate those two all the time. Meanwhile, anizionist Jews or Jews that are against us support for Israel are practically made invisible.
Post-election edit: It's still early, but it appears as though El-Seyed (predictably) won ~60% of the total Jewish vote and an even higher percentage of Jewish Democrats. However, given the unbelievable amount of media attention on the ~25% of Jewish Democrats that held out or defected to Rogers, one would expect that number to be much higher. I really want to underscore how fucked up that is, not just because of the not-so-subtle Islamophobia that's being laundered, but also because of the antisemitic, and frankly, dangerous narrative that is presented about Jewish people and this imaginary dual loyalty to Israel at a time when Israel is extremely unpopular. Awful. Awful awful awful.
-
Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of November 2 in ~society
AnthonyB (edited )LinkSo, I assume that anyone that would open this thread already knows this by now, but in case you were in a coma or deep in the woods yesterday, Haley Stevens endorsed Mike Rogers and the media lost...So, I assume that anyone that would open this thread already knows this by now, but in case you were in a coma or deep in the woods yesterday, Haley Stevens endorsed Mike Rogers and the media lost its fucking mind. Christmas came early and, uh, so did the media, so to speak.
Anyway, it was a massive story and her decision, predictively, backfired in spectacular fashion. Her career in Democratic politics is almost certainly over and she is getting chastised from basically every corner of the big Democratic tent, even from the more "moderate" talking heads that backed her in the primary and had been taking potshots at El-Seyed throughout the campaign. It seems that if your rationale for leaving the Democratic nominee is due to his "hate and vitriol" then you might want to look somewhere else and not cling to the guy that just ran one of the most openly racist campaigns in recent memory.
From what I've seen so far, it seems that the competing theories as to why this woman strapped a bomb to her chest and detonated it nowhere near any of her enemies are, (1) she's unbelievably petty and/or having some sort of breakdown, or (2) she took 30 million dollars from the Israel lobby and another 30 mil from right-leaning donors and orgs and wants to make sure they get their money's worth. I don't know if we'll ever get the full story, and honestly, I don't really care. What I do find interesting, and the reason why I am posting about this is because I want to know how a woman who was backed by the Democratic establishment and who was a few thousand votes away from securing the nomination could have such horrible political instincts. I have my own hypothesis that I haven't really seen anywhere else and I figured I would throw it out there. I call it the "high on your own supply theory."
I genuinely believe that Haley Stevens thought that she would get more support for her decision. If you watch the news or read the articles and op-eds in the NYT/WaPo/Atlantic/etc. then you might've noticed the steady stream of pieces about how 'Democrats are divided on Israel' and how there are Jewish Democrats in Michigan who are
too racistafraid to vote for Abdul El-Seyed, and at this point there are probably hundreds if not thousands of hours of talking heads on CNN and MSNow pontificating about whether Abdul is too radical on Israel. It creates the perception that this is a big split in the Big Tent and that AES is further to the left than the base of the party. Unfortunately, none of that is real. Right now among Democrats, Israel's popularity sits somewhere between "having a stranger shit on your face" and "sticking an icepick into your genitals." For Haley Stevens, her most passionate and dedicated supporters were probably from that 5% who think we should send more weapons to Israel, and every time she turned to the news, she was sold a story that those 5% of Democrats were closer to 50%.There's a good chance that in 48 hours we'll wake up to some news that gives us a small thread of hope, but Ms. Stevens's story should serve as a giant red flag about the state of our media environment and about Democratic leadership, because it is still way too easy to win as a selfish, careerist Democrat that doesn't represent the interests of the voters and would rather support a fascist than turn their back on their biggest donors.
-
Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
AnthonyB LinkI've had Viagra Boys' Viagr Aboys on the backlog for a long time and I finally got around to giving it a proper listen. I forgot how much I enjoy this band. For the past few months, I had been in...I've had Viagra Boys' Viagr Aboys on the backlog for a long time and I finally got around to giving it a proper listen. I forgot how much I enjoy this band.
For the past few months, I had been in a long Cheekface and Ween phase, and this, surprisingly, is the perfect album to follow that unusual combo. A little weird, a little witty, some incisive social commentary here and there, and a whole slew of unexpectedly catchy lyrics and tracks that are fuckin bangers.
It's a fairly short album and I only find myself skipping over one or two tracks now and then. And to top it all off, they've brought back the lost art of the music video! Man Made of Meat and Bog Body have some fun videos. If it were 1999, I would be spending my afternoons calling Carson Daily & Co.
-
Comment on Why are there so many topics about Denmark? in ~tildes
AnthonyB Link ParentBack in the day, there were almost daily posts from the Sydney Morning Herald, and I just assumed that a bunch of people on here were Aussies. Turns out it was just one guy. Been there, friend....Back in the day, there were almost daily posts from the Sydney Morning Herald, and I just assumed that a bunch of people on here were Aussies. Turns out it was just one guy.
Been there, friend. Been there.
-
Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
AnthonyB (edited )LinkI finally got around to watching The Leftovers since it is one of the last big prestige shows that I haven't seen. I binged two seasons in about a week and all I really have to say is: what the...I finally got around to watching The Leftovers since it is one of the last big prestige shows that I haven't seen. I binged two seasons in about a week and all I really have to say is: what the actual fuck. That's not a question missing the proper punctuation mark, it's a statement. It should be the blurb on the DVD Release. "What the actual fuck." - The New York Times.
This show is a fever dream, and not just during the parts that are basically fever dreams. Any attempt at explaining it past the elevator pitch of '2% of the world suddenly disappeared at the same time' would probably make it sound like the dumbest show ever, but somehow it's good. I don't know why, I don't make the rules. Justin Theroux and Carrie Coon are both great in it, and I'm currently etching 2014 Carrie Coon's face into my all-time celebrity crush Mount Rushmore. Ah what the hell, might as well throw 2014 Theroux on my all-time "if I were to experiment" Mount Rushmore, too.
Its crazy to think how good we had it from 2012-2015. If Leftovers came out today, there would probably be a ton of people online and in my personal life telling to watch it, but it was kind of an afterthought when it first came out. That's not an indictment on the show, or even the current state of television, it just goes to show how many fantastic and popular shows there were back then.
Edit: Almost forgot, but I want to believe that Paterson Joseph's character is just Alan Johnson post-apocalypse.
-
Comment on Non-queer men of Tildes: PLEASE consider before commenting on ~life.women and ~lgbt without careful consideration. We are losing members over this issue. in ~tildes
AnthonyB Link ParentSure, but have you considered the perspective that this evergreen content basically functions as our quarterly meeting where we all get together in a massive discussion thread? Hmmm?Sure, but have you considered the perspective that this evergreen content basically functions as our quarterly meeting where we all get together in a massive discussion thread? Hmmm?
-
Comment on How A24 spurred a meme craze and got the many to watch ‘You Can See Everything’: documentary opens to $15m milestone in ~movies
AnthonyB LinkI'm a huge advocate for the weekday matinee, so I just got back from seeing it for the first time. I actually broke down and tried to see it over the weekend, but the sound gave out right after...I'm a huge advocate for the weekday matinee, so I just got back from seeing it for the first time. I actually broke down and tried to see it over the weekend, but the sound gave out right after the previews and I couldn't make the next showing, so I had to wait till this afternoon.
Anyway, I was shocked by how many people we at the theater, both times. I would expect a showing like that in LA or something, but not my relatively small FL suburb. There were more people in the theater today than there were on opening day for The Odyssey, and about 1.5x as many as there were for Digger, OBAA, and Disclosure Day combined. Obviously, the latter three weren't exactly box office hits, and this is just for my personal matinee experience, but I still can't believe that a three hour Nathan Fielder A24 doc outperformed the combined work of three Oscar-winning filmmakers in my little neck of the woods.
-
Comment on How A24 spurred a meme craze and got the many to watch ‘You Can See Everything’: documentary opens to $15m milestone in ~movies
AnthonyB Link ParentYeah, I had a similar takeaway. When she's talking about completing the project again, there's a moment where she sounds convincing even though you can reasonably assume it's not real. The...Yeah, I had a similar takeaway. When she's talking about completing the project again, there's a moment where she sounds convincing even though you
knowcan reasonably assume it's not real. The magician analogy is very fitting.
I brought this up in last week's thread, but this is a dangerous conflation that happens all the time. There was a post a few months ago in ~lgbt that examined the NYT's framing of trans issues, and I'd love to see something similar for how often mainstream outlets run with the 'Israel = Jews' framing. Just a few days ago, I had a long conversation/argument with someone who is otherwise educated, compassionate, and progressive, after they started going off about "The Jews." I mean WTF? This person watches a lot of CNN, btw.
On a slightly relevant note, and as a follow-up to my post in last week's thread, I came across a few things this weekend that feel worthy of a share:
J Street 2026 midterm poll of Jewish voters
Some highlights: 80% say Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank increase antisemitism, 76% support sanctions on West Bank settlers, 66% believe AIPAC 's spending against candidates who criticize Israel increases antisemitism, 72% supported Democrats in the primaries, and a paltry 14% cite Israel as the leading concern. (It would be nice to see that reality reflected in the media)
How "safety" rhetoric is weaponized to protect Israel and smear its critics
This is a hotter take that probably won't land with everyone who reads it, but there was an interesting bit in here that feels important after the outrageously bigoted senate campaign that took place in Michigan. (Note: this was posted in early October)