Spatch1003
@spatch1003.bsky.social
Finance by day, history and parenting by night
My kids are 7 and 5 so this year and the last 2 have been the sweet spot for "children have personalities and are super excited/cute about Christmas, which makes all the prep magical". Alas, the 7 year old is getting suspicious so I think this may be the last year for them to enjoy it together.
December 3, 2025 at 5:32 PM
My kids are 7 and 5 so this year and the last 2 have been the sweet spot for "children have personalities and are super excited/cute about Christmas, which makes all the prep magical". Alas, the 7 year old is getting suspicious so I think this may be the last year for them to enjoy it together.
It's particularly funny because everyone on Energy Twitter was so convinced he was a great pick for DoE because he's incredibly thoughtful about the energy transition and completely ignoring who he would be working for.
December 2, 2025 at 4:05 PM
It's particularly funny because everyone on Energy Twitter was so convinced he was a great pick for DoE because he's incredibly thoughtful about the energy transition and completely ignoring who he would be working for.
It's wishful thinking to believe that a university can immediately pivot its business model in the face of a Federal government trying to kill it without truly massive layoffs. After grants, the Feds can come after international admissions, student loans, and accreditation.
December 1, 2025 at 3:20 PM
It's wishful thinking to believe that a university can immediately pivot its business model in the face of a Federal government trying to kill it without truly massive layoffs. After grants, the Feds can come after international admissions, student loans, and accreditation.
Increasing the endowment payout to the 7% UPMIFA maximum would only cover half the hole created by the loss of grant funding…after already laying off 400 employees.
December 1, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Increasing the endowment payout to the 7% UPMIFA maximum would only cover half the hole created by the loss of grant funding…after already laying off 400 employees.
Getting the Feds to pay out the hundreds of millions that is due at some point in the future is a cold comfort to the people that lost their job a year earlier. These grant payments are significant. NW could increase its endowment payout to the UPMIFA max and only cover half of it.
November 29, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Getting the Feds to pay out the hundreds of millions that is due at some point in the future is a cold comfort to the people that lost their job a year earlier. These grant payments are significant. NW could increase its endowment payout to the UPMIFA max and only cover half of it.
$75 million is about 2 months of the bills Northwestern was paying to fill the void created by the Fed refusing to pay what was owed under their grants. And that’s after NW laid off 400 people. These universities at least are trying to minimize harm when they surrender. The press does it for free.
November 29, 2025 at 2:08 PM
$75 million is about 2 months of the bills Northwestern was paying to fill the void created by the Fed refusing to pay what was owed under their grants. And that’s after NW laid off 400 people. These universities at least are trying to minimize harm when they surrender. The press does it for free.
Also, the composition of the respective Supreme Courts! If the majority of SCOTUS had been appointed by Obama and Biden, we wouldn't have gotten a "Trump is immune from justice" opinion. Sorry, folks, we gave the highest court to Republicans and now we're screwed.
November 26, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Also, the composition of the respective Supreme Courts! If the majority of SCOTUS had been appointed by Obama and Biden, we wouldn't have gotten a "Trump is immune from justice" opinion. Sorry, folks, we gave the highest court to Republicans and now we're screwed.
Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that it's costing Northwestern $30 to $40 million a month to support researchers whose grants have been frozen? Even increasing endowment payout to the 7% UPMIFA max would only cover half that. And that's after they've already laid off 400 employees!
November 26, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that it's costing Northwestern $30 to $40 million a month to support researchers whose grants have been frozen? Even increasing endowment payout to the 7% UPMIFA max would only cover half that. And that's after they've already laid off 400 employees!
Think in decades because that's how long you're going to have to stay away from Saudi sovereign soil if you criticize him lest you get the bone saw.
November 25, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Think in decades because that's how long you're going to have to stay away from Saudi sovereign soil if you criticize him lest you get the bone saw.
I really love that the "all old people are evil" movement might get us a Nazi tattoo senator in Maine and a transphobic senator in Massachusetts instead of two good liberals that I'd expect to toe the party line. It's truly a great thing that won't in any way screw us over.
November 25, 2025 at 2:33 PM
I really love that the "all old people are evil" movement might get us a Nazi tattoo senator in Maine and a transphobic senator in Massachusetts instead of two good liberals that I'd expect to toe the party line. It's truly a great thing that won't in any way screw us over.
Long story short, a bridge that carries 90k cars/day (in a state with 1 million people) has been at half capacity for 2 years (creating massive traffic issues) and he refused to fire anyone over it. The bridge failure isn't his fault, but everyone hates the lack of accountability.
November 24, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Long story short, a bridge that carries 90k cars/day (in a state with 1 million people) has been at half capacity for 2 years (creating massive traffic issues) and he refused to fire anyone over it. The bridge failure isn't his fault, but everyone hates the lack of accountability.
I watched Arrival once. It was incredible (and IMO, better than the short story, which was very good). And I will never watch it again because it still destroys me when I think about it and my kids. But I am so glad I watched it.
November 24, 2025 at 3:15 PM
I watched Arrival once. It was incredible (and IMO, better than the short story, which was very good). And I will never watch it again because it still destroys me when I think about it and my kids. But I am so glad I watched it.
There’s no need for insurance. If the facility floods, that’s just free liquid cooling baby!
November 24, 2025 at 1:00 PM
There’s no need for insurance. If the facility floods, that’s just free liquid cooling baby!
The first AH book I got back in the mid 90s was Gingrich and Forstchen’s 1945. (Being in middle school, I had no idea who he was.)
My grandmother was a hard core FDR Democrat; when she saw me reading a book by Newt Gingrich, she flipped out.
The book was dumb, but it did start my love of the genre
My grandmother was a hard core FDR Democrat; when she saw me reading a book by Newt Gingrich, she flipped out.
The book was dumb, but it did start my love of the genre
November 23, 2025 at 10:39 PM
The first AH book I got back in the mid 90s was Gingrich and Forstchen’s 1945. (Being in middle school, I had no idea who he was.)
My grandmother was a hard core FDR Democrat; when she saw me reading a book by Newt Gingrich, she flipped out.
The book was dumb, but it did start my love of the genre
My grandmother was a hard core FDR Democrat; when she saw me reading a book by Newt Gingrich, she flipped out.
The book was dumb, but it did start my love of the genre
It’s become clear this is now a factional struggle.
Cuomo is a traitor for saying he will protect NYC from Trump.
Schumer is a traitor for failing to control his caucus members that protected the poor by saving SNAP.
Mamdani is a hero for giving Trump a photo op to protect NYC.
Cuomo is a traitor for saying he will protect NYC from Trump.
Schumer is a traitor for failing to control his caucus members that protected the poor by saving SNAP.
Mamdani is a hero for giving Trump a photo op to protect NYC.
November 23, 2025 at 9:59 PM
It’s become clear this is now a factional struggle.
Cuomo is a traitor for saying he will protect NYC from Trump.
Schumer is a traitor for failing to control his caucus members that protected the poor by saving SNAP.
Mamdani is a hero for giving Trump a photo op to protect NYC.
Cuomo is a traitor for saying he will protect NYC from Trump.
Schumer is a traitor for failing to control his caucus members that protected the poor by saving SNAP.
Mamdani is a hero for giving Trump a photo op to protect NYC.
It’s hard to take the article seriously when the author can’t make it to the third word without making a mistake. (Nvidia’s earnings were released at 4:20, not 4:00.)
I would normally let that go but the second word was “precisely,” so I feel it’s essential for the author to get it right!
I would normally let that go but the second word was “precisely,” so I feel it’s essential for the author to get it right!
November 23, 2025 at 1:08 AM
It’s hard to take the article seriously when the author can’t make it to the third word without making a mistake. (Nvidia’s earnings were released at 4:20, not 4:00.)
I would normally let that go but the second word was “precisely,” so I feel it’s essential for the author to get it right!
I would normally let that go but the second word was “precisely,” so I feel it’s essential for the author to get it right!
I saw way too many people saying the meeting showed that Trump was less racist than Gillibrand and Schumer on the same day that Trump pulled TPS on Somalis and DHS was posting about blood and soil nationalism.
November 22, 2025 at 3:21 PM
I saw way too many people saying the meeting showed that Trump was less racist than Gillibrand and Schumer on the same day that Trump pulled TPS on Somalis and DHS was posting about blood and soil nationalism.
I’ve seen multiple posts of “Trump is less racist/Islamophobic than Gillibrand/Schumer” on the same day this gets posted and it’s really infuriating.
November 22, 2025 at 2:22 AM
I’ve seen multiple posts of “Trump is less racist/Islamophobic than Gillibrand/Schumer” on the same day this gets posted and it’s really infuriating.
I would also add Mills getting no credit from the left for telling Trump to go to hell to his face since she’s running against their pride and joy.
November 21, 2025 at 10:29 PM
I would also add Mills getting no credit from the left for telling Trump to go to hell to his face since she’s running against their pride and joy.
Exactly. The "centrist" candidate for the Dem Senate primary in Maine of the was in favor of that transmission line explicitly because of climate change while the "leftist" candidate for that seat was against it!
November 21, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Exactly. The "centrist" candidate for the Dem Senate primary in Maine of the was in favor of that transmission line explicitly because of climate change while the "leftist" candidate for that seat was against it!