Mike Boylan-Kolchin
@mbkplus.bsky.social
Dad, husband, astrophysicist, dog herder. Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor in Astronomy at UT Austin. This is a personal account and the views expressed in my posts here are mine. https://mrbk.github.io
Pinned
Mike Boylan-Kolchin
@mbkplus.bsky.social
· Sep 13
Mike Boylan-Kolchin
mrbk.github.io
New (academic) year, new me — well, new title, anyway. I promise to uphold the standards you’ve come to expect from the Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor in Astronomy.
The 8 Democrats in the Senate defending their actions remind me of this scene from Office Space
November 11, 2025 at 4:08 AM
The 8 Democrats in the Senate defending their actions remind me of this scene from Office Space
Feels like he might be planning to go into the witness protection program as a high school baseball coach, Mamdani has the whole family scrambling
Chris Cuomo is trying to make this atrocious little mustache happen even though it looks like he drew it on with a ballpoint pen
November 11, 2025 at 3:46 AM
Feels like he might be planning to go into the witness protection program as a high school baseball coach, Mamdani has the whole family scrambling
It's pretty great that he knows he can't just post "lol" or "based" or "is this true, Grok?" or one of his other 3-4 usual BS posts in response to her, and that basically has paralyzed him
“whatever club he’s invited to join has been devalued by the invitation”
November 11, 2025 at 3:42 AM
It's pretty great that he knows he can't just post "lol" or "based" or "is this true, Grok?" or one of his other 3-4 usual BS posts in response to her, and that basically has paralyzed him
This will be an interesting test of how far SCOTUS is willing to go to protect one specific man who they've already deemed to be officially above the law.
Trump asks Supreme Court to overturn verdict that he sexually abused and defamed E. Jean Carroll | CNN Politics
President Donald Trump on Monday asked the US Supreme Court to review the $5 million case that found he sexually abused and defamed magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll.
www.cnn.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:25 AM
This will be an interesting test of how far SCOTUS is willing to go to protect one specific man who they've already deemed to be officially above the law.
YouTube TV is trying to buy me off with a $20 credit over their dispute with Disney / loss of ESPN & ABC.
And it's working.
Now, if they haven't reached an agreement by 6:30pm Central on Saturday (Georgia-Texas)? Different story.
Actually, this is mostly a reflection on how bad Spectrum is.
And it's working.
Now, if they haven't reached an agreement by 6:30pm Central on Saturday (Georgia-Texas)? Different story.
Actually, this is mostly a reflection on how bad Spectrum is.
November 11, 2025 at 2:50 AM
YouTube TV is trying to buy me off with a $20 credit over their dispute with Disney / loss of ESPN & ABC.
And it's working.
Now, if they haven't reached an agreement by 6:30pm Central on Saturday (Georgia-Texas)? Different story.
Actually, this is mostly a reflection on how bad Spectrum is.
And it's working.
Now, if they haven't reached an agreement by 6:30pm Central on Saturday (Georgia-Texas)? Different story.
Actually, this is mostly a reflection on how bad Spectrum is.
Not beating the allegations
November 10, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Not beating the allegations
<condescendingly> it means “the Moines”. It’s French.
November 10, 2025 at 11:14 PM
<condescendingly> it means “the Moines”. It’s French.
Reposted by Mike Boylan-Kolchin
Review: not good. Unimaginative plot, mostly one-note acting. Did I enjoy it? Yes!
Coping with <waves hands in every direction> by watching Jason Statham exact revenge against irredeemable villains in Working Man
November 10, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Review: not good. Unimaginative plot, mostly one-note acting. Did I enjoy it? Yes!
Reposted by Mike Boylan-Kolchin
The “women should be homemakers” to “women be shopping” pipeline is remarkable
They used to wiretap your phones to collect this kind of information from you but now you pay for a Bluecheck and post it yourself
November 10, 2025 at 10:37 PM
The “women should be homemakers” to “women be shopping” pipeline is remarkable
"[China has] a monopoly on magnets. Because, you know, they were allowed to happen over a 32 year period."
November 10, 2025 at 9:44 PM
"[China has] a monopoly on magnets. Because, you know, they were allowed to happen over a 32 year period."
Reposted by Mike Boylan-Kolchin
OK, but the reason that it didn't work is because you quit, Senator. You see that, right? It was working, and then all of the sudden it didn't work *because you quit*.
November 10, 2025 at 2:33 PM
OK, but the reason that it didn't work is because you quit, Senator. You see that, right? It was working, and then all of the sudden it didn't work *because you quit*.
Well, I guess no one can accuse him of half-assing it on breaking the law:
“A Brooklyn federal judge found that Jonathan Braun had violated the rules of his release by sexually assaulting a nanny, swinging an IV pole at a nurse and dodging tolls in his Lamborghini and Ferrari.”
“A Brooklyn federal judge found that Jonathan Braun had violated the rules of his release by sexually assaulting a nanny, swinging an IV pole at a nurse and dodging tolls in his Lamborghini and Ferrari.”
Felon Freed by Trump Is Sentenced Again, This Time to 27 Months
www.nytimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Well, I guess no one can accuse him of half-assing it on breaking the law:
“A Brooklyn federal judge found that Jonathan Braun had violated the rules of his release by sexually assaulting a nanny, swinging an IV pole at a nurse and dodging tolls in his Lamborghini and Ferrari.”
“A Brooklyn federal judge found that Jonathan Braun had violated the rules of his release by sexually assaulting a nanny, swinging an IV pole at a nurse and dodging tolls in his Lamborghini and Ferrari.”
Reposted by Mike Boylan-Kolchin
The Edge of Space-Time is coming! You should preorder it -- look at what THE Ed Yong had to say about it:
“With this extraordinary book, Prescod-Weinstein cements her status as one of the most accomplished and important science writers of our time; as polymath, griot, teacher, and more; (1/2)
“With this extraordinary book, Prescod-Weinstein cements her status as one of the most accomplished and important science writers of our time; as polymath, griot, teacher, and more; (1/2)
November 10, 2025 at 6:41 PM
The Edge of Space-Time is coming! You should preorder it -- look at what THE Ed Yong had to say about it:
“With this extraordinary book, Prescod-Weinstein cements her status as one of the most accomplished and important science writers of our time; as polymath, griot, teacher, and more; (1/2)
“With this extraordinary book, Prescod-Weinstein cements her status as one of the most accomplished and important science writers of our time; as polymath, griot, teacher, and more; (1/2)
Reposted by Mike Boylan-Kolchin
If your POV as an elected official is "fighting bad policy doesn't work", you have no business being an elected official
November 10, 2025 at 2:33 PM
If your POV as an elected official is "fighting bad policy doesn't work", you have no business being an elected official
brb, further updating my priors that Silver is a dweeb who excelled at doing a more rigorous analysis of election data compared to the average analyst (who was doing the equivalent of clacking rocks together in hopes of making a bigger rock) but has no understanding of social dynamics or people.
the hipsters, they’re ordering double frufru mocha soy frappuccino. doesn’t anybody order a black coffee anymore
November 10, 2025 at 5:52 PM
brb, further updating my priors that Silver is a dweeb who excelled at doing a more rigorous analysis of election data compared to the average analyst (who was doing the equivalent of clacking rocks together in hopes of making a bigger rock) but has no understanding of social dynamics or people.
yesssss
Democrat’s Win May Upend a Conservative Push in Virginia Universities
www.nytimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:12 PM
yesssss
The vast majority of homeowners with fire insurance never file a claim but we don't say fire insurance is a bad idea. Having the insurance *is* using the system. And I think that people actually understand this *because everyone needs health insurance*
Tell me you don’t understand risk pools without telling me you don’t understand risk pools
November 10, 2025 at 3:39 PM
The vast majority of homeowners with fire insurance never file a claim but we don't say fire insurance is a bad idea. Having the insurance *is* using the system. And I think that people actually understand this *because everyone needs health insurance*
Reposted by Mike Boylan-Kolchin
American politics makes a lot more sense when you realize that the GOP is afraid of pissing off the GOP base, and the Dems are afraid of pissing off the GOP base, but neither party is afraid of pissing off the Dem base.
March 14, 2025 at 10:24 PM
American politics makes a lot more sense when you realize that the GOP is afraid of pissing off the GOP base, and the Dems are afraid of pissing off the GOP base, but neither party is afraid of pissing off the Dem base.
Reposted by Mike Boylan-Kolchin
Even knowing *nothing* about a proposed piece of legislation other than the fact that 40 of 48 Democrats in the senate oppose it would be enough to oppose it and be correct 99+% of the time.
November 10, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Even knowing *nothing* about a proposed piece of legislation other than the fact that 40 of 48 Democrats in the senate oppose it would be enough to oppose it and be correct 99+% of the time.
OK, but the reason that it didn't work is because you quit, Senator. You see that, right? It was working, and then all of the sudden it didn't work *because you quit*.
November 10, 2025 at 2:33 PM
OK, but the reason that it didn't work is because you quit, Senator. You see that, right? It was working, and then all of the sudden it didn't work *because you quit*.
Review: not good. Unimaginative plot, mostly one-note acting. Did I enjoy it? Yes!
Coping with <waves hands in every direction> by watching Jason Statham exact revenge against irredeemable villains in Working Man
November 10, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Review: not good. Unimaginative plot, mostly one-note acting. Did I enjoy it? Yes!
Reposted by Mike Boylan-Kolchin
Medium to long term, I think this will hurt Republicans because health care costs are close to a universal concern in the US, and they’re going to get even more out of control. But shorter term, a lot of people will suffer & Trump will (correctly) think he can roll the Democrats at will.
November 10, 2025 at 4:32 AM
Medium to long term, I think this will hurt Republicans because health care costs are close to a universal concern in the US, and they’re going to get even more out of control. But shorter term, a lot of people will suffer & Trump will (correctly) think he can roll the Democrats at will.