Dr. Karma

An essay assignment (borrowed from a colleague): students write about something they're geeky about, explaining why it's cool.

A student has complained, saying I should give students more choice about what they want to write about.

YouTube video by adam podlofsky The Kids in the Hall do "Chicken Lady".

It's National Chicken Lady day, and apparently that's not about the Kids in the Hall sketch, but it should be.

@kidsinthehall.bsky.social

#KidsintheHall
#nationalchickenladyday

a little blog about last month: www.dr-karma.com/2025/11/02/o...

Creamy butternut squash & coconut noodle soup

Happy Halloween!

(I'm not actually cuddling with Jack. Today, I celebrate by wearing a Flanders as the Devil tee & having the Simpsons Treehouse marathon on while I grade & grade & grade.)

Their Professors Caught Them Cheating. They Used A.I. to Apologize.

I'm assuming most unis have a statement about how they aren't allowed to outright lie to us, including (from UCD) "regarding attendance at class sessions."

Unis: You can't put the onus of anticipating all the dishonest things students will do with AI on individual instructors. Step the fuck up.

Their Professors Caught Them Cheating. They Used A.I. to Apologize.

Beyond the ridiculous student behavior outlined in the title:

The uni said the students couldn't be punished because the instructors didn't explicitly say in the syllabus that the students couldn't use AI to lie to the instructors about whether they were actually in class. 1/2

Happy National #catday. Halloween pic, with me as Jareth, holding Jareth.

The Vampire Ball, at Harlow's

Margaret Atwood to ‘show her solidarity’ in Edmonton for book tour Legendary Canadian author Margaret Atwood will visit Edmonton in December for her book tour.

Atwood will show solidarity for Edmonton in her book tour!

Outpatient procedure today.
Me: Be warned. I'm a bleeder.
Doc: Okay.
(Has to rewrap it. And rewrap it.)
Doc: You ARE a bleeder!
(Sends me home with a full container of gauze.)

MAGA: I love him because he donates his salary. He does this FOR us, unlike that horrible Biden.

Him, demanding $230 million taxpayer dollars: "Every great President pays himself a little something from the Treasury. It's called being smart. It's called being successful."

Simpsons Viewing and Discussion: "Coming to Homerica" ⭐️ Presented by the Campus Community Book Project, an Initiative of Inclusive Excellence

This Friday, at noon, I'll be leading a viewing & discussion of "Coming to Homerica" as part of our Campus Community Book Project, at noon.
You can sign up to join us here: excellence.ucdavis.edu/events/simps...

The food goes here!

Me & mini Margaret with a celebratory margarita after our day at the Capitol

Mini Atwood & I are heading to the Capitol for @freethoughtday.bsky.social

Got dressed up for the @freethoughtday.bsky.social donor event!

California Freethought Day California Freethought Day combines the fun and atmosphere of a fair with the education and activism of a conference. Join us for outstanding speakers, live entertainment, an authors' panel, and more.

Just a reminder: I'll be speaking at the opening and closing of our day Sunday.
Can't make it to Sacramento? You can register to live stream it!
freethoughtday.org
@freethoughtday.bsky.social

I told my student I knew she used AI & that I would be referring it. I said she should send me another proposal, so I could give her feedback about it.
She sent me a different idea...also written by AI.

It's fine. What I wanted to do was spend a bunch of time turning in someone for using AI to write an assignment already.

A 1-pt assignment. Graded on completion. Just telling me the preliminary idea for their term paper. So I could give feedback.

sometimes those meandering words would actually capture a straggling thought and bear it triumphantly, a prisoner in their midst, until it died of servitude and overwork.'"

Sounds familiar.

Heather Cox Richardson taught me today that Pres. Harding "was such a terrible speaker that one man commented that his speeches 'leave the impression of an army of pompous phrases moving over the landscape in search of an idea; (1/2)

Today: A slight fever from my shingles vaccine (expected); a Supreme Court about to let healthcare providers torture children in the name of free speech (expected); water starting to rain down on my desk just as I was about to start a Zoom meeting (unexpected).

2nd Shingles vaccine!

I will be speaking at @freethoughtday.bsky.social, Sunday, Oct. 12th at the CA state capitol! Come celebrate free speech, free thought, and the separation of church and state with us! www.FreethoughtDay.org

a little blog about September: www.dr-karma.com/2025/10/01/s...

"The White House says construction of Trump’s ballroom in place of the East Wing of the White House will also continue during the shutdown." Heather Cox Richardson

"Administration officials are making sure the shutdown doesn’t affect their own priorities. They have prioritized the $20 billion bailout of Argentina’s failing economy as essential, so it will proceed. The bailout will help right-wing leader Javier Milei, a Trump ally. ... 1/2

In about an hour and a half, I'm going to be on Dr. Andy's Poetry and Technology Hour (KDVS 90.3) to talk about California Freethought Day, at the State Capitol, October 11-12! @freethoughtday.bsky.social

Yesterday, military leadership was told they kill for a living, and that American citizens were their enemies.