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Mike Urbancic

@urbancic.bsky.social

1.4K followers 1.2K following 2.7K posts

teaching professor of economics, faculty unionist at the University of Oregon | pedagogy, astronomy, tabletop gaming, parodies, data visualization, maps, sundry | #TeachEcon #EconSky 📈📉 | alum UArizona & Berkeley Econ | he/him

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Mike Urbancic @urbancic.bsky.social · Aug 11

Anyone on Bluesky a fan of astronomy, LEGO, or general nerdery?

I stumbled on a MIND-BLOWING Easter egg on the pink panel of LEGO set 21340: Tales of the Space Age.

🤯😱🤩

It’s so subtle and so *wonderful*!

Settle in for a tale within a Tale…

🧵

image of the four panels of LEGO set 21340 (Tales of the Space Age)

In the first panel, a large comet flies in the black heavens above a bluish horizon.

In the second panel, a larger moon and a smaller moon appear as thin crescents in a black sky above an orange horizon.

In the third panel, a small gray rocket leaves behind a white plume of exhaust while launching. In the background are seven stars arranged like the Big Dipper in a black sky above a pink horizon.

In the fourth panel, a green ringed world hangs in a black sky above a green horizon.

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Reposted by Mike Urbancic

rabbitsmom.bsky.social @rabbitsmom.bsky.social · 10h

isportlandburning.com

Is Portland Burning?

No. See real-time Portland cameras, PulsePoint incidents, and sourced fact checks.

isportlandburning.com

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Mike Urbancic @urbancic.bsky.social · 9h

a man says okay but that 's worse in front of a woman

Alt: GIF from The Good Place. Chidi says to Eleanor: Okay, but that's worse. You do get how that's worse, right? I'm response, Eleanor scrunches up her face (apparently unsure of how that's worse).

media.tenor.com

Reposted by Mike Urbancic

Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 1d

The University of Arizona's faculty senate has voted to ask the UA president to reject the Trump administration's proposed compact. It's among an accumulation of voices who say not to be tempted by the good things in the compact due to its more fundamental threats.
tucson.com/news/local/e...

U of A Faculty Senate opposes Trump compact; provost says no decision yet

The University of Arizona Faculty Senate approved a resolution calling on the UA to reject the White House’s compact requiring ideological, political and financial commitments in return for federal fu...

tucson.com

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Mike Urbancic @urbancic.bsky.social · 17h

Willamette

Reposted by Mike Urbancic

Robert “The Bobby Yaga” McNees @mcnees.bsky.social · 20h

Astronomer Ejnar Hertzsprung was born #OTD in 1873. 🧪 🔭

H-R diagram:

🔵 🟦 🟥
🔵 🟧
⚪️ 🟨
⚪️
🟡🟡
⚬ ⚬ 🟠🟠
⚬ ⚬ ⚬ 🔴
⚬ 🔴
⚫️

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Mike Urbancic @urbancic.bsky.social · 18h

👀

Mike Urbancic @urbancic.bsky.social · 22h

techbro: Don't worry. The sky isn't falling because there are unions.

also techbro: *does everything in their power to undermine or destroy unions*

Reposted by Mike Urbancic

Josh Pasek @joshpasek.com · 1d

How should university boards prepare?

- Strategize in advance (could happen here)
- Leverage internal expertise (strategize with political scientists, public policy scholars and law faculty)
- Respond collectively and support one another
-Stay true to the mission

This is the real fiduciary duty!

Jackie Gardina @jackiegardina.bsky.social · 1d

@joshpasek.com, @umich.edu, provides boards of trustees a roadmap for responding to external pressue, like the so-called Educational Compact.

@aaup.org @utaustinaaup.bsky.social @aaup-penn.bsky.social

riverside.fm/shared/expor...

One thing boards can d... | Oct 7, 2025 001 - Riverside - HD Podcast & Video Software

riverside.fm

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Reposted by Mike Urbancic

Randall Munroe @xkcd.com · 1d

Window Screen

xkcd.com/3151/

4-panel comic. (1) [person in front of window, shaped like a trapezoid with a curved top] This weekend, I had to make an oversized screen for a porch window. (2) [person sitting with hands on head surrounded by images of assorted equations and measurements] It involved countless tiny problems, each somehow way harder than it should be. Oblique angles. Curved edges. Noncoplanarity. (3) [person in front of window with screen on it, with building detritus strewn on the ground] ...I solved them all. I measured precisely. I did trigonometry. I made custom parts. And it fit *perfectly.* No gaps, no ripples. (4) [person typing at computer] I know that your foundation normally limits its purview to physics, medicine, peace, chemistry, and literature. However, if you review the attached photos showing how well the screen fits into the...

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Mike Urbancic @urbancic.bsky.social · 1d

My exit was pretty passive, peaceful, and amiable over the remote times of the pandemic and the years since.

But the mere *existence* of this brief makes me FURIOUS.

The Church is blithely attacking and proactively working to undermine dear, dear friends whom I adore and love.

And for what?!

Reposted by Mike Urbancic

Brian McFadden @mcfadden.bsky.social · 1d

Spirit Halloween is going to need these data centers to close up shop quick. Inflatable protest costume aisles are a better use of the space.

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Mike Urbancic @urbancic.bsky.social · 1d

😔

Good luck! ❤️

Mike Urbancic @urbancic.bsky.social · 1d

Right: can't touch beans if you're dead, so it'd probably be fine.

Mike Urbancic @urbancic.bsky.social · 1d

Go West:

🎶 'Cause I'm the king of wishful thinking

China Crisis: ... 😒

Mike Urbancic @urbancic.bsky.social · 2d

Depending on how Villeneuve wants to play it, Dune: Part Three might scratch a bit of that itch...

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Mike Urbancic @urbancic.bsky.social · 2d

bsky.app/profile/urba...

Mike Urbancic @urbancic.bsky.social · 4d

A good faith interpretation of Treasury's draft of a 2026 coin twice-emblazoned with Trump's image is that they don't expect him to see 2027.

Eric Lipton NYT @ericlipton.nytimes.com · 5d

It is not clear that Mr. Trump’s image can be featured on a coin. An 1866 law enshrined a tradition that only deceased people could appear on U.S. currency to avoid the appearance that America was a monarchy. Trump admin is planning to do it anyway.
By Alan Rappeport

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/b...

Reposted by Mike Urbancic

Tucson Sentinel @tucsonsentinel.com · 2d

Faculty Senate calls on President Garimella to reject deal that would 'endanger the independence, excellence & integrity' of University of Arizona

UA profs oppose 'academic compact'; Trump admin gives school until Oct. 20 to submit 'limited' feedback

The White House has given nine universities—including the University of Arizona—until Oct. 20 to send "limited, targeted" feedback on a "compact" for higher education, agreeing to suppress campus crit...

www.tucsonsentinel.com

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Reposted by Mike Urbancic

Mike Sowden @mikeachim.bsky.social · 2d

Damn. This is amazing. £325 per week, paid monthly, for 3 years - and the result was a profit for the Irish economy:
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employmen...

Post from Threads user rodneyowl: "Ireland has declared the Basic Income for Artists scheme permanent. This will be officially announced in tomorrow’s budget. Details to follow. Congratulations to all who fought for it and the present and future artists of all sorts in Ireland. That includes me 👌We’re just comin to the end of a 3 year pilot scheme. It’s been a roaring success. For every €1 paid out to the 2000 participants, the government got €1.46 back. Can’t argue with that. Other countries are already taking note."

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Timothy McBride @mcbridetd.bsky.social · 2d

What Americans Die from?

And what the media reports on...

Our World in Data ourworldindata.org/does-the-new...

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Reposted by Mike Urbancic

Alex Baumhardt @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social · 3d

VERY chill out here tonight at ICE processing facility south of downtown Portland. Federal Judge (Immergut, appointed by Trump) just made ruling from the bench no federalized Guard to Portland from anywhere period.

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Reposted by Mike Urbancic

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 3d

“Become a courts reporter,” they said.

“You’ll get weekends off,” they said.

“Because there won’t be any hearings on the weekend,” they said.

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 3d

COMING UP: Judge Immergut has set a hearing for 10 pm ET tonight (!) on Trump's effort to circumvent her temporary restraining order re: Oregon national guard deployment by calling up the federalized California national guard.

Date Filed
Oct 5, 2025
Description
* CSV
SCHEDULING ORDER: This Court, having received Plaintiffs' Second Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and request for Expedited Hearing, ECF 59, sets a hearing by Telephonic Conference at 7:00
p.m. tonight, October 5, 2025, before Judge Karin J. Immergut. Access information for "LISTEN ONLY" phone number for the Hearing. Telephone Number: 1-571-353-2301 (toll-free 1-833-
990-9400); Guest Meeting ID: 812-980-
324#. Note: If dropped from the conference, please rejoin the conference.
For complete conference connection instructions and etiquette guidelines, refer to ord.uscourts.gov/cms. Ordered on 10/5/25 by Judge Karin J. Immergut. (jy)
(Entered: 10/05/2025)

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Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 3d

NEW: Judge Immergut schedules a hearing TONIGHT, in 45 min, to hear arguments on SECOND TRO to block federalized California National Guard from deploying in Portland, Oregon. www.courtlistener.com/docket/71481...

SCHEDULING ORDER: This Court, having received Plaintiffs' Second Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and request for Expedited Hearing, ECF 59, sets a hearing by Telephonic Conference at 7:00 p.m. tonight, October 5, 2025, before Judge Karin J. Immergut. Access information for "LISTEN ONLY" phone number for the Hearing. Telephone Number: 1-571-353-2301 (toll-free 1-833-990-9400); Guest Meeting ID:
812-980-324#. Note: If dropped from the conference, please rejoin the conference. For complete conference connection instructions and etiquette guidelines, refer to ord.uscourts.gov/cms. Ordered on 10/5/25
by Judge Karin J. Immergut. (iy) (Entered: 10/05/2025)

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Mike Urbancic @urbancic.bsky.social · 3d

still from The Office of Pam when she says, "They're the same picture."

Mike Urbancic @urbancic.bsky.social · 3d

Is philately dead?

No one even needs a reason to mail things to want to buy stamps.

Reposted by Mike Urbancic

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield @agdanrayfield.bsky.social · 3d

BREAKING NEWS: Oregon, California, and Portland have taken legal action to block the unlawful deployment of California National Guard troops to Oregon.

Read more about what happened and what’s next.

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