Michael Taffe
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effatma.bsky.social
Michael Taffe
@effatma.bsky.social
Sneaky!
Here's PIRG researcher RJ Cross getting the Alilo Smart AI bunny to tell @savanahsellers.bsky.social about S&M, the FoloToy Sunflower Warmie telling me it is actually both a cactus and a teddy bear (???) and the Miiloo spouting the CCP line on Taiwan.
December 11, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Never expected to have to call @repscottpeters.bsky.social office about the fact pirating oil tankers and ginning up fake war pretexts is bad but here we are.
Call your Congress Critter, friends.
December 11, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Reposted by Michael Taffe
If every Muslim voter in Dearborn voted for Harris, she still would have lost Michigan.

If she had won Michigan, she STILL WOULD HAVE LOST THE ELECTION.

If you want to blame voters for current conditions, feel free to blame the actual demographic responsible for Trump and that is WHITE PEOPLE.
December 9, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Good news, frustrated profs! Finally someone will read the syllabus.
The University of North Carolina System may require all instructors to publish syllabi starting next year.

“Calling instructors 'work for hire' & stripping them of copyright is a surefire way to turn creative thinkers into widgets."

- Abigail Hatcher, AAUP UNC-Chapel Hill
UNC System may require all instructors to publish syllabi, course materials next academic year
The drafted regulation, obtained by The Daily Tar Heel, states the policy would go into effect come the 2026-27 academic year. Some instructors said publishing syllabi would invite outside scrutiny th...
www.dailytarheel.com
December 10, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Nothing enhances academic morale quite as much as announcing a search for another Ass Dean right after informing the faculty that they plan to whack tens of thousands of dollars off their retirement income level.
December 10, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Reposted by Michael Taffe
Absolutely baddie running around everywhere to get shit done, useless man lurching back and forth while everyone else struggles to protect him from the consequences of his actions. Name a more iconic couple.
December 10, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Reposted by Michael Taffe
Operation Bluebird wants to relaunch “Twitter,” says Musk abandoned the name and logo arstechnica.com/information-...
Operation Bluebird wants to relaunch “Twitter,” says Musk abandoned the name and logo
“Abandonment” offers rare chance to reclaim one of tech’s most recognized brands.
arstechnica.com
December 10, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Reposted by Michael Taffe
hmmm somehow there's some subtle difference in tone or shading, you might say, that exempts musk himself from this concern about foreign-born people taking part in american democracy
WATCH: Elon Musk is upset that Somalian Americans in Minnesota get to vote.
December 10, 2025 at 3:52 PM
“I love the smell of gaslighting in the morning!” -Dean
December 10, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Hahah Darrel Issa is now “threatening” to carpetbag off to Texas to try to stay in Congress? Ahahahahaa.
December 3, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Reposted by Michael Taffe
This is Judge William Young who also ruled that NIH grant terminations were illegal and also called out the racism even though it was not an issue raised in the case.

It is satisfying when judges call out clearly what is presented to them.
November 16, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Reposted by Michael Taffe
I've heard horror stories from friends and colleagues in the Humanities about this. Thankfully it was never a thing in STEM
November 16, 2025 at 9:43 PM
6-methyl nicotine is appearing in e-cigarette products in an attempt to evade federal and state regulation of nicotine products. Our initial study is now published.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
6-Methyl nicotine and nicotine have similar thermoregulatory and reinforcing effects in middle aged female rats with a history of nicotine vapor self-administration
The nicotine analog 6-methyl nicotine (6-MN) has recently appeared in non-tobacco nicotine delivery products, including oral pouches and e-cigarette l…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 17, 2025 at 2:01 PM
If white santa lady isn't trying to excuse the behavior, why is she saying this? What purpose does it serve to try to say these girls "would look legal"? and barf "legal". come the fuck on Megyn.
Is the person “very very close to this case” DJT?
November 13, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Reposted by Michael Taffe
The New Innovators fo 2025?

They are not up on the usual website, but here they are:

reporter.nih.gov/search/bjtc8...
RePORT ⟩ RePORTER
reporter.nih.gov
November 6, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Reposted by Michael Taffe
On July 4th, I emailed Bhattacharya to save him the trouble of figuring this out since we had created the

NIH Director's New Innovator Award (DP2)

in 2007 which provides relatively generous funding for 5 years for innovative early stage investigators.

(Featured in "50 Shades of Jay")

3/7
November 6, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Reposted by Michael Taffe
Also bears noting now that he's being talked about that it was Bill De Blasio who brought universal school lunches to NYC in addition to universal pre-K. Say what you will about his tenure, but these were transformative policies that are now taken for granted. Put some respect on the man's name.
November 5, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Reposted by Michael Taffe
Trump and Republicans: We really really want people to go hungry while we build our ballroom.
Post updated as of 5:50PM to reflect the notice of appeal filed by DOJ, they're going to the First Circuit in an attempt to overturn Judge McConnell's orders
Chief Judge McConnell Jr just ordered USDA to fully fund SNAP benefits by tomorrow, 11/7/25

He found USDA failed to comply with his earlier order, irreparable harm is being done to SNAP beneficiaries, fully funding November SNAP is needed to stop irreparable harm to 42 million Americans
November 6, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Reposted by Michael Taffe
Director Bhattacharya "Let's fund emerging investigators"

Yeah, who's the idiot running NIH who allowed 15% or few fewer early stage investigators be funded in FY2025 compared to FY2024?

(Estimate: The official numbers are not yet available (at least publicly)
November 6, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Reposted by Michael Taffe
Oh, was that discouraging to talented young scientists?
Not to mention that many emerging investigators were funded under programs designed to encourage new scientists from underrepresented communities.
November 6, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Reposted by Michael Taffe
basically every 2024 truism is dead. Trump did not build a lasting multiracial coalition or turn young men into committed Republicans. You don’t need to cave on trans rights to win. The pundits have nothing left to tell you.
November 5, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Well, we do have JD Vance to worry about. Think of the children.
This is a bench. It is one of many.

In the United States they would be equipped with spikes, rails or both.
November 5, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Interesting academic news.
To understand what was at stake here: in VA, the AG gets to appoint university counsel. From Jim Ryan’s forced resignation to the (mercifully) reject “Compact” to the odious and bizarre “settlement,” UVA has been hamstrung by counsel chosen by the state’s GOP administration. That’s about to change.
November 5, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Is this like when white women who were raised Republican realize they are a feminist?
My best friend told me: "I had heard Mamdani was a Socialist. Then I listened to him in an interview. That's when I realized, 'Damn, I'm a Socialist, too'. Who knew?"
November 5, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Reposted by Michael Taffe
My best friend told me: "I had heard Mamdani was a Socialist. Then I listened to him in an interview. That's when I realized, 'Damn, I'm a Socialist, too'. Who knew?"
November 5, 2025 at 2:48 AM