Matt T's Avatar

Matt T

@powersoffour.bsky.social

I'm an academic in Information Sciences, background in computational astrophysics. I tend to post about academic stuff, open source, politics, tabletop roleplaying games, MS-DOS and occasionally the 1975 Joe Don Baker movie "Mitchell."

229 Followers  |  467 Following  |  755 Posts  |  Joined: 01.07.2023  |  2.3816

Latest posts by powersoffour.bsky.social on Bluesky


Roller-Blading Meet Cute - Detroiters | Comedy Central
YouTube video by Comedy Central UK Roller-Blading Meet Cute - Detroiters | Comedy Central

briefly returning to note that Sam Richardson is probably my current favorite comedic actor, and that his changing facial expression at 29 seconds in to this clip reliably cause me to guffaw

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQFd...

29.01.2026 14:46 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

breaking my social media hiatus to announce that i will not be wearing my northwestern winter hat this year

29.11.2025 21:05 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

β€œCampus leaders need to understand that their capitulations and concessions only further empower the greatest threat to higher education since the Red Scare, if not earlier.”

(The AAUP contends that this moment is far worse.)

Act Now.

Never Cave.

#DefendHigherEd

28.06.2025 15:55 β€” πŸ‘ 47    πŸ” 25    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

And for folks who may not be from NYC, or may not know β€” this is who @bradlander.bsky.social has always been! I’m so glad that so many more folks are getting to meet him.

28.06.2025 14:47 β€” πŸ‘ 231    πŸ” 21    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0

If you'll be in DC on Monday, why not join us? And if you can't, please consider taking one of the other actions on your own time.

27.06.2025 20:54 β€” πŸ‘ 25    πŸ” 20    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I am, but only because of an article in the last few years pointing it out. I read the appendix but it didn't stick out at me at the time.

27.06.2025 23:42 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I miss uncontrollably drifting through the air as soon as their visible scent-lines reach my nose.

27.06.2025 23:20 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Supreme Court says Maryland parents can pull their kids from public school lessons using LGBTQ books A lawyer says the Supreme Court's ruling that Maryland parents who have religious objections can pull their children from public school lessons using LGBTQ storybooks is a historic victory for parenta...

The Supreme Court's decision sets a dangerous precedent.

When I signed into law LGBTQ+ history in our curriculum, I hoped schools would become more welcoming to all.

We'll keep telling the whole story of our shared history in Illinois, whether through storybooks or textbooks.

27.06.2025 22:56 β€” πŸ‘ 2463    πŸ” 492    πŸ’¬ 72    πŸ“Œ 25

Between this and the HUD/NSF press conference this week he is showing up in an awful lot of awful things.

27.06.2025 22:57 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
DOGE loses control over government grants website, freeing up billions The DOGE team’s loss of control is the latest sign of its declining influence following Elon Musk’s departure from Washington.

Earlier, several NIH staffers told me that NIH awards that had been held are being issued now. Bunches of them.

Wonder if this report from the WaPo (gift link) has to do with it.

27.06.2025 22:51 β€” πŸ‘ 82    πŸ” 31    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 8

In that world would we also have Episode IX: Duel of the Fates?

27.06.2025 22:40 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Facebook post by Katie Couric on the forced resignation of UVA President Jim Ryan

Facebook post by Katie Couric on the forced resignation of UVA President Jim Ryan

"...sadly, this seems to be a last ditch attempt by Virginia Governor [Glenn] Youngkin to resuscitate his floundering presidential ambitions by proving he is the chief destroyer of DEI." - @katiecouric.bsky.social bluevirginia.us/2025/06/uva-...

27.06.2025 22:03 β€” πŸ‘ 249    πŸ” 77    πŸ’¬ 10    πŸ“Œ 10
Preview
University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration

During McCarthyism, they went after individuals to force their agenda, now they're going after entire institutions.

The Trump administration is doing everything they can to reverse all progress toward creating a higher education system assessable to all.

We must fight back.

#DefendHigherEd

27.06.2025 20:51 β€” πŸ‘ 95    πŸ” 37    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 3

But it can’t be the individual or even the few in a few disciplines. Like those who attack higher ed at institutional level, it must be a collective front. The moment has called us. If we listen.

27.06.2025 21:49 β€” πŸ‘ 20    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

how did i get here

27.06.2025 21:12 β€” πŸ‘ 623    πŸ” 23    πŸ’¬ 15    πŸ“Œ 3

When I was a postdoc at UCSD in the Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, she had an office there. Sadly, I think she had other commitments because I never did get to see her in the building. But I always hoped ...

27.06.2025 20:12 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Video thumbnail

folks with signs on the rotunda steps leading a chant of β€œthe whole world is watching”

27.06.2025 19:31 β€” πŸ‘ 522    πŸ” 65    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 3

The executive order sidesteps some aspects of this by only applying to people born after some date (I think in February?) of this year. So that specific EO would not apply retroactively, although I imagine that is something that is on their radar as well.

27.06.2025 19:33 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Oh, right! Gosh, that movie succeeded so hard at everything it set out to do. It checked every box on whatever handwritten list it had of "things we need to do in Crank 2."

27.06.2025 19:26 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I am so sorry.

27.06.2025 19:24 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I always get those two confused. Which one had the Jason Statham as a Kaiju scene?

27.06.2025 19:17 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Open Letter on Academic Freedom at UVA Open Letter from Members of the Faculty of the University of Virginia In light of reporting that officials at the Department of Justice are pressuring University of Virginia President Jim Ryan to re...

More than 100 UVA faculty (and counting) have signed an open letter condemning political interference in the university. The forced installation of a new president under these circumstances will cast a shadow on teaching and research. Read here: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

27.06.2025 18:53 β€” πŸ‘ 367    πŸ” 118    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 7

Trying really hard to push through, get things accomplished for projects I care about. Tough day for that.

27.06.2025 18:46 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Part of the story about the war on US higher ed right now is university board members who want to see changes for the school that they can’t achieve structurally or politically – their power not in fact being unqualified – inviting and enabling federal incursion to make those changes

27.06.2025 18:38 β€” πŸ‘ 301    πŸ” 102    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 3

Hey, I know the people who need to hear this are probably not on this site, but here’s a free tip:

Stop resigning. Make the fascists fire you. Make them own their actions, then fight it with whatever legal remedies you can find.

We can’t win if people don’t fight.

27.06.2025 18:13 β€” πŸ‘ 1887    πŸ” 329    πŸ’¬ 44    πŸ“Œ 15
Preview
Trump says supreme court limiting judges’ powers is β€˜monumental victory’ as liberal justices dissent – live Sonia Sotomayor says decision is an β€˜open invitation … to bypass the constitution’; joined by Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson

This outrageous Supreme Court decision is another reminder that the courts won’t save us. Today’s ruling from the MAGA SCOTUS is all the more reason why Democrats in Congress must fight like hell to block Trump’s policies from being enacted and gum up the works as much as possible.

27.06.2025 18:06 β€” πŸ‘ 1142    πŸ” 381    πŸ’¬ 92    πŸ“Œ 32

Glad tariffs on Canada are back. Record stock market performance immediately following contraction of the economy needed a little juice of excitement to really keep the wheels rolling.

27.06.2025 17:54 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I will, however, make an exception to this and strenuously object if they try to show either of my kids "Rise of Skywalker" in school.

27.06.2025 17:53 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I was being flip, and I think your statement is the compassionate and thoughtful approach.

It just sucks when good faith only happens on the side that I agree with and the "other side" is willing to burn it all down with memes.

27.06.2025 17:49 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

@powersoffour is following 20 prominent accounts