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despitethetimes.bsky.social
Mike Spaeder, MD
@despitethetimes.bsky.social
470 followers 340 following 130 posts
Music Nerd, Pediatric ICU Doc, Potty Mouth, Mathlete, Husband to a Mother of Dragons. I can be found left of the dial or east of the Blue Ridge.
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Reposted by Mike Spaeder, MD
cdelawalla.bsky.social
On the contrary, there has never been a better time to DOUBLE your caffeine intake.

Fascism isn't gonna fight itself fam, we need FUEL!!!
nytimes.com The New York Times @nytimes.com · Dec 10
Cafes across the U.S. are embracing the low- and no-caffeine lifestyle, with options that are a far cry from dusty tea bags and rewarmed decaf. nyti.ms/3XKlqoj
A photo shows someone pouring a drink. Headline: There’s Never Been a Better Time to Quit Caffeine
February 9, 2026 at 11:58 AM
despitethetimes.bsky.social
this is who runs this account (with his cousin 😉)
February 2, 2026 at 2:27 AM
despitethetimes.bsky.social
Combining my interests in medicine and math, this is a bonkers tale about predatory journals. @pccmdoc.bsky.social - I totally thought of your warnings on the subject as I read it.
@retractionwatch.com
February 1, 2026 at 3:02 PM
Reposted by Mike Spaeder, MD
mauraquint.bsky.social
The thing about Catherine O’Hara is she is so hilarious and talented that I forgot she was mortal
January 30, 2026 at 7:38 PM
Reposted by Mike Spaeder, MD
themountaingoats.bsky.social
today the fascists killed a nurse who did good work for the people in his care
badideas.bsky.social Aaron Stewart-Ahn @badideas.bsky.social · 23d
A video of Alex Pretti reading out the final salute of an unnamed veteran he cared for until the end of his life in the ICU, posted to Facebook by his son.
January 25, 2026 at 1:33 AM
Reposted by Mike Spaeder, MD
dimitridrekonja.bsky.social
Alex Pretti was a colleague at the VA. We hired him to recruit for our trial. He became an ICU nurse- I lover working with him. He was a good kind person who lived to help and these fuckers executed him.

White. Hot. Rage.
January 24, 2026 at 7:31 PM
Reposted by Mike Spaeder, MD
erictopol.bsky.social
Tylenol during pregnancy is safe without increased risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability of offspring
A new review of the evidence just out
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
January 16, 2026 at 11:43 PM
Reposted by Mike Spaeder, MD
kyledcheney.bsky.social
JUST IN: A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore $12 million in grants to the American Academy of Pediatrics, saying the terminations appear to be retaliation for the group's view points re: vaccine safety/efficacy. ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show...
January 12, 2026 at 4:29 AM
Reposted by Mike Spaeder, MD
ncronline.bsky.social
The vice president’s comments justifying the death of Renee Good are a moral stain on the collective witness of our Catholic faith, writes digital editor John Grosso.
Catholic Vice President Vance takes to social media to justify killing of Renee Good
After the tragic shooting of Renee Good at the hands of ICE, the Catholic vice president of the United States took to social media to justify the killing.
www.ncronline.org
January 8, 2026 at 7:34 PM
Reposted by Mike Spaeder, MD
joncooper-us.bsky.social
Cartoon by @badiucao.bsky.social.
January 8, 2026 at 12:23 PM
Reposted by Mike Spaeder, MD
paigeperriello.bsky.social
This one deserves its own repost….
ylepidemiologist.bsky.social Your Local Epidemiologist @ylepidemiologist.bsky.social · Jan 5
4/ Denmark’s schedule works because of what sits underneath it: universal care, paid leave, centralized records, and near-perfect follow-up. In the U.S., where care is fragmented and missed visits are common, routine recommendations prevent kids from falling through the cracks.
January 5, 2026 at 9:13 PM
Reposted by Mike Spaeder, MD
paigeperriello.bsky.social
Great and sobering article about what lies ahead…
January 5, 2026 at 7:33 PM
despitethetimes.bsky.social
Nice column in today's @washingtonpost.com by friend and colleague @pehjackson.bsky.social

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...
Guest column | What viruses an infectious-disease doctor is watching for in 2026
I research virus outbreaks around the world. Here’s what I’ll be keeping an eye on in 2026 that could cause infections in unexpected places or cases.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 4, 2026 at 10:47 PM
despitethetimes.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
Virginia Democrat Tom Perriello to run for his old seat in Congress
Former congressman Tom Perriello (D) said Tuesday he will challenge incumbent Rep. John McGuire (R) in Virginia’s 5th District, which he held for one term until 2011.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 9, 2025 at 10:40 PM
despitethetimes.bsky.social
❤️❤️❤️
December 3, 2025 at 7:03 PM
despitethetimes.bsky.social
Solid list and no arguments about Bjork's Post being #1. Definitely missing Fugazi's Red Medicine, Superchunk's Here Where The Strings Come In, and Unwound's The Future of What
@pastemagazine.bsky.social
The 25 greatest albums of 1995
Paste Magazine is your source for the best music, movies, TV, comedy, videogames, books, comics, craft beer, politics and more. Discover your favorite albums and films.
www.pastemagazine.com
November 28, 2025 at 8:51 PM
despitethetimes.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Scotland’s World Cup qualifying win reactions equivalent to small earthquake
Celebrations to McLean’s jaw-dropping goal picked up by seismic activity monitors at Glasgow Geothermal Observatory
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:28 PM
despitethetimes.bsky.social
Former U.Va. President Details Justice Department Pressure That Led to Ouster www.nytimes.com/2025/11/14/u...
Former U.Va. President Details Justice Department Pressure That Led to Ouster
www.nytimes.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Reposted by Mike Spaeder, MD
bakerdphd.bsky.social
"The Cavalier Daily corresponded with former Rector Robert Hardie, whose term ended June 30, regarding the two accounts. He confirmed that he agreed with Ryan’s account.

'I concur fully with President Ryan’s recollection of events,' Hardie said."

Welp

www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025...
Ryan and Sheridan provide full accounts of Ryan’s resignation. They differ significantly
“I concur fully with President Ryan’s recollection of events,” former Board Rector Robert Hardie said.
www.cavalierdaily.com
November 14, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Reposted by Mike Spaeder, MD
joefore.bsky.social
Former UVA president Jim Ryan, who resigned over the summer due to pressure from the Trump Administration, just shared this 12-page letter with the Faculty Senate, detailing his experience with the Board of Visitors and DOJ.

It's a surreal--and troubling--read.

drive.google.com/file/d/1Is6x...
November 14, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Reposted by Mike Spaeder, MD
marisakabas.bsky.social
As SNAP hangs in the balance for nearly 42 million people, misinformation is rampant. Myths of laziness and fraud persist when we should be talking about too low wages for workers, income inequality, and our threadbare social safety net.

In this guest post, Adam Chandler sorts fact from fiction:
SNAP benefits feed essential needs while still leaving many hungry for more
Journalist and author Adam Chandler explains what so much of the conversation about them gets wrong.
www.thehandbasket.co
November 1, 2025 at 1:57 PM
despitethetimes.bsky.social
Happy Halloween! No, seriously, this is unnerving.

Are We Losing Our Democracy? www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Opinion | In Trump’s America, Are We Losing Our Democracy?
Donald Trump has wielded power as no previous president has.
www.nytimes.com
October 31, 2025 at 3:14 PM
despitethetimes.bsky.social
Huge crowd at #NoKings Charlottesville
October 18, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Reposted by Mike Spaeder, MD
stevenljohnson.org
UVA says no to the compact
To the University of Virginia community: On Monday of last week, Rector Rachel Sheridan and I shared a message with the community regarding the proposed Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. We were asked to provide comments on the proposal no later than October 20. Today, I sent the letter below to the Secretary of Education and to White House officials. The letter confirms our core values and commitments while expressing our view that federal research funding should be based on merit. I want to thank personally the Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, Student Council, and many other members of our community who expressed their opinions on the proposed Compact, through the online form we provided and other means. Your thoughtful feedback shows a profound care for the University and a strong commitment to its future. We will continue to work to strengthen free expression and free inquiry, protect academic freedom, ensure affordability , promote intellectual pluralism, and maintain institutional neutrality in an increasingly polarized world. I am grateful for your continued dedication to the University and I look forward to working with you on these vital projects. Paul Mahoney Interim President University of Virginia October 17, 2025 The United States Department of Education Washington, DC 20202 Dear Secretary McMahon, Ms. Mailman, and Mr. Haley, Thank you for your letter inviting comment on the proposed Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education. We wholeheartedly agree that “American higher education is the envy of the world.” We also agree with many of the principles outlined in the Compact, including a fair and unbiased admissions process, an affordable and academically rigorous education, a thriving marketplace of ideas, institutional neutrality, and equal treatment of students, faculty, and staff in all aspects of university operations. Indeed, the University of Virginia leads in several of these areas and is committed to continuous improvement in all of them. We seek no special treatment in exchange for our pursuit of those foundational goals. The integrity of science and other academic work requires merit-based assessment of research and scholarship. A contractual arrangement predicating assessment on anything other than merit will undermine the integrity of vital, sometimes lifesaving, research and further erode confidence in American higher education. Higher education faces significant challenges and has not always lived up to its highest ideals. We believe that the best path toward real and durable progress lies in an open and collaborative conversation. We look forward to working together to develop alternative, lasting approaches to improving higher education. Sincerely yours, Paul Mahoney Interim President University of Virginia
October 17, 2025 at 8:40 PM
despitethetimes.bsky.social
UVA Reject The Compact Rally
October 17, 2025 at 4:24 PM