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Matt T

@powersoffour

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."

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01.07.2023
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Latest posts by Matt T @powersoffour

OK, so, I've watched the trailer for "Everyone is Lying to You for Money" and then listened to the song a hundred times. Initially I thought "it would flow better with 'everybody's lying to you for money'" but now I have reconsidered and feel it *actually* works better as is with its actual flow.

11.03.2026 14:04 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

And now, Alabama isn't going to kill Sonny Burton on Thursday.

It worked.

10.03.2026 16:54 πŸ‘ 306 πŸ” 12 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 0

This is no different than all of the people in my replies when I published this being like, "She won't. She's awful."

OK, do you understand what politics is?

A part of it is elections, but another point is getting people in office to do the right thing β€” regardless of whether you like them.

10.03.2026 16:53 πŸ‘ 187 πŸ” 11 πŸ’¬ 9 πŸ“Œ 1

I just finished "The Garden of Before" by Ryan Leslie. It is an absolutely incredible conclusion to the duology started in "The Between." It has a minotaur, bananas worldbuilding, an Esperanto-flavored Algol-68 MUD, and moving character arcs for all the broken, hurt people who populate its pages.

09.03.2026 16:54 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
a sign from futurama that says "0 days since last" below which text has been added to say "student questioning if i am the speed runner of the NES game Punch-Out!! with whom i share a first and last name"

a sign from futurama that says "0 days since last" below which text has been added to say "student questioning if i am the speed runner of the NES game Punch-Out!! with whom i share a first and last name"

03.03.2026 15:31 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

What do you think of the beans-to-cup machines at gas stations nowadays?

02.03.2026 14:49 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I never played any of the God of War games but I would still like to trade this in for another season of Ryan Hurst in Mysterious Benedict Society (and to have the first two returned to Disney+) please

27.02.2026 15:25 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Roller-Blading Meet Cute - Detroiters | Comedy Central
Roller-Blading Meet Cute - Detroiters | Comedy Central YouTube video by Comedy Central UK

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 πŸ‘ 2459 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 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 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 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 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 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 πŸ‘ 20 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

how did i get here

27.06.2025 21:12 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 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 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 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 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I am so sorry.

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