balooga's recent activity
-
Comment on Federal officers kill another citizen in Minneapolis, National Guard activated in ~society
-
Comment on Federal officers kill another citizen in Minneapolis, National Guard activated in ~society
balooga Link ParentThat seems extreme even for Trump. Not sure how MAD comes into play when a nuclear power detonates a warhead on its own people, but I’d like to think no one, however depraved, would ever authorize...That seems extreme even for Trump. Not sure how MAD comes into play when a nuclear power detonates a warhead on its own people, but I’d like to think no one, however depraved, would ever authorize that, and certainly that no personnel, having received such an order, would obey it.
-
Comment on Federal officers kill another citizen in Minneapolis, National Guard activated in ~society
balooga LinkWhile we were talking about Alex Pretti yesterday, a protest of CHILDREN erupted inside the Texas concentration camp where 5yo Liam Ramos is being held. Video from an attorney on-site captures the...While we were talking about Alex Pretti yesterday, a protest of CHILDREN erupted inside the Texas concentration camp where 5yo Liam Ramos is being held.
Video from an attorney on-site captures the shouts of the children from outside the walls. This article includes more detail and an aerial photograph.
-
Comment on Federal officers kill another citizen in Minneapolis, National Guard activated in ~society
balooga Link ParentThat’s a fair point. Still I wonder if Trump federalizing the National Guard to do the exact opposite of their objective under the governor would cause them to question their loyalties in any...That’s a fair point. Still I wonder if Trump federalizing the National Guard to do the exact opposite of their objective under the governor would cause them to question their loyalties in any meaningful way.
Honestly an actual civil war is feeling inevitable at this point. I’d much rather it begin with armed military factions drawing battle lines, than helpless civilians continuing to be fed into a meat grinder while the only people capable of defending them sit on their thumbs.
-
Comment on Federal officers kill another citizen in Minneapolis, National Guard activated in ~society
balooga LinkSo the National Guard has been activated by Gov. Walz. WTF? The governor has limited resources at his disposal to protect the people of Minnesota against this lawlessness, and the National Guard...So the National Guard has been activated by Gov. Walz.
Gov. Tim Walz and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office requested the guard members deploy to secure the site of the shooting and the Whipple Federal Building, a known immigration authority staging area that’s become a hotspot for protesters, according to the statement.
WTF? The governor has limited resources at his disposal to protect the people of Minnesota against this lawlessness, and the National Guard is the strongest tool legally available to him. We know he speaks out against Trump and his mercenaries. So why the fuck is he directing the guard to protect the goons? Whose side is he actually on?
The unaccountable thugs murdering nonviolent legal observers in the streets are NOT the ones who need protecting right now.
Who has the power to prevent the killing of the next Alex Pretti or Renee Good? Certainly not the phone-carrying bystanders. Innocent people are going to keep dying, because this rabid dog has no leash. SOMEONE INTERVENE. Governor Walz, that starts with you pointing your National Guard in the opposite direction.
-
Comment on Federal officers kill another citizen in Minneapolis, National Guard activated in ~society
balooga Link ParentYeah, holy shit, the title should be “Innocent man executed in street via macing, beating, and 10+ gunshots from U.S. immigration agents”. Anything less than that level of directness is complicity...Yeah, holy shit, the title should be “Innocent man executed in street via macing, beating, and 10+ gunshots from U.S. immigration agents”. Anything less than that level of directness is complicity with the DHS lies. There is no room for neutrality here, only factuality vs. propaganda.
-
Comment on Federal officers kill another citizen in Minneapolis, National Guard activated in ~society
balooga LinkThe thing that’s eating me up about all of this is that local law enforcement is ABSENT. Ordinary people should not have to face off against ICE. Police, real police, need to step up and serve and...The thing that’s eating me up about all of this is that local law enforcement is ABSENT. Ordinary people should not have to face off against ICE. Police, real police, need to step up and serve and protect their communities.
I get it, they don’t want to get in the way of feds. But I think they have a moral duty to do exactly that. Minneapolis PD could and should have sent their own SWAT team out to lawfully arrest these thugs. Let them stand trial in court, like we do in America.
Trump’s MO is “better to ask forgiveness than permission” (but let’s be honest, he never asks forgiveness either). Throw a legal and ethical hand grenade into a crowd and let the lawyers sort it out later. So it’s time for the local cops to grow a spine and do the same. Show up in greater numbers, lock up the miscreants, and let the justice system sort it out.
I don’t care if the justice system completely absolves the agents in court. Hell, we all know Trump will just pardon them anyway. That’s why they’re acting untouchable in the first place, because they literally have a get out of jail free card. But in the meantime, if innocent lives can be saved, they must. ICE is escalating violence, and an escalation of resistance is warranted in turn. And necessary, I’d argue, if only to get this situation to break through the noise and get regular people to give a damn about what’s happening.
It’s great that people are blowing whistles, recording, and shaming. They also need to be flooding 911 with reports of gang violence, breaking and entering, homicide, impersonating law enforcement officers, and so on. Demand police response.
-
Comment on Federal officers kill another citizen in Minneapolis, National Guard activated in ~society
balooga LinkThe Minnesota Star Tribune has identified the victim as one Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis resident, ICU nurse, and U.S. citizen.The Minnesota Star Tribune has identified the victim as one Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis resident, ICU nurse, and U.S. citizen.
-
Comment on US immigration officers assert sweeping power to enter homes without a judge’s warrant, memo says in ~society
balooga Link ParentMight be a good time for potential targets to start MAGA-coding their homes. “This house protected by the 2nd Amendment” and “Trespassers will be shot” yard signs. Gadsden flags. Thin blue line...Might be a good time for potential targets to start MAGA-coding their homes. “This house protected by the 2nd Amendment” and “Trespassers will be shot” yard signs. Gadsden flags. Thin blue line stickers on the door. Maybe a Punisher skull or two for good measure.
-
Comment on US immigration officers assert sweeping power to enter homes without a judge’s warrant, memo says in ~society
balooga Link ParentNo kidding. The immediacy of their defamation of Renee Good reveals exactly how eager they are to find enemies to make examples of.No kidding. The immediacy of their defamation of Renee Good reveals exactly how eager they are to find enemies to make examples of.
-
Comment on US immigration officers assert sweeping power to enter homes without a judge’s warrant, memo says in ~society
balooga Link ParentThe other thing is “it’s legal when we do it.” They are constantly framing these raids as “law enforcement officers conducting legal law enforcement work”… as if any of this is orderly,...The other thing is “it’s legal when we do it.” They are constantly framing these raids as “law enforcement officers conducting legal law enforcement work”… as if any of this is orderly, constitutional, humane, precedented, ethical, justifiable, and in all other ways legitimate. Which it isn’t. That’s a big, beautiful LIE.
But that framing accomplishes several goals:
- Normalizes the gestapo presence and behavior in daily life
- Gaslights Americans who know this is an anti-American terroristic atrocity that bears little resemblance to actual law enforcement
- Creates a pretext for all opposition to be portrayed as “obstruction of justice”
- Emboldens the militant far right to categorize political violence and vigilantism as a patriotic duty
- Deflects responsibility for the damage ICE does onto the innocent people who oppose it
- Functions as a thought-terminating cliché (as all doublespeak is intended to do) since supporters are likely to equate state action with morality and not interrogate the idea any further
-
Comment on Minnesota's general strike on Friday Jan 23rd, 2026 in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence in ~society
balooga Link ParentOh, looks like Vance will be speaking at an anti-abortion march in D.C. instead. A better defender of children and the sanctity of families, you'll not find anywhere.Oh, looks like Vance will be speaking at an anti-abortion march in D.C. instead. A better defender of children and the sanctity of families, you'll not find anywhere.
-
Comment on Minnesota's general strike on Friday Jan 23rd, 2026 in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence in ~society
balooga LinkI know some folks who are traveling from out of state to march in this. With this winter storm, Minneapolis is looking at a high temperature of -9°F on Friday. Low of -21°F. JD Vance was in town...I know some folks who are traveling from out of state to march in this. With this winter storm, Minneapolis is looking at a high temperature of -9°F on Friday. Low of -21°F. JD Vance was in town Thursday, not sure if he's already left or will still be around when this happens.
-
Comment on Minnesota physicians on Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence in hospitals in ~society
balooga LinkEvent introduction begins at 3:26, everything before that is setup with mics muted. There are some odd glitches in the latter portions of the video but they all clear up after a few seconds....Event introduction begins at 3:26, everything before that is setup with mics muted. There are some odd glitches in the latter portions of the video but they all clear up after a few seconds.
Powerful, harrowing stuff. It's heartening to see so many credentialed professionals telling their stories and taking a stand like this. Absolutely worth watching to the end. Thanks so much for amplifying this. I wish everyone cheering on ICE right now, especially those who work in healthcare, could summon the attention span to just listen to the words of these physicians, and then allow themselves to wrestle with their own consciences for a while after. To just sit in a quiet room with no social media, no TV on... nothing but these plain, nonpartisan, desperate moral pleas and enough stillness to let them hang in the air before cognitive dissonance returns to shoo them away again.
-
Comment on Inside the conservative campus revolution in ~society
balooga Link ParentI hadn’t even considered where this road could lead, beyond regular activism. We’ve already seen Trump seeking ways to bring [para]military violence into American cities, first with the national...I hadn’t even considered where this road could lead, beyond regular activism. We’ve already seen Trump seeking ways to bring [para]military violence into American cities, first with the national guard, now with ICE. And we’ve witnessed him incite a crowd of rioters to storm the U.S. capitol. You think he might try to weaponize TPUSA like his own personal Red Guards? That’s a scary thought.
I mean it sounds ridiculous but nothing’s off the table with this guy.
-
Comment on Inside the conservative campus revolution in ~society
balooga LinkI really don't want to be ageist but these days I'm increasingly feeling like the world's steering wheels are in the hands of idiot children. I don't know what to do with that. I'm in my 40s and...I really don't want to be ageist but these days I'm increasingly feeling like the world's steering wheels are in the hands of idiot children. I don't know what to do with that. I'm in my 40s and I'm still constantly learning how to be a more decent human being. The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. Half my lifetime ago I was a smirking fresh-faced college grad who thought he knew a lot and wanted to mold the world into whatever my particular brand of utopia was at the time. We'd all have been screwed decades ago if I had ever been given a real platform or any levers of power.
I dunno. I dislike seeing this kind of student activism because students objectively have a lot more growing to do. Maturity, experience, cognitive development. But age alone isn't a guarantee of anything. There's a 79yo manbaby in the Oval Office right now. I think this is just me grappling with what everybody does at midlife, when they find themselves muttering about kids these days. Yup, guilty. This is bog-standard ageism I'm spouting, nothing new to see here.
Maybe what's really happening is my head is that I'm jealous to see people younger than myself finding influence and personal success in the world, when I'm still waiting for my ship to come in. I think it's more than that though. I'm angry at these students for actively, vehemently promoting rhetoric and policies designed to harm people. I'm angry at their apparent lack of introspection or compassion for the dignity of others who aren't like them, and the way they seek to limit the possibilities of what life can offer people who don't see the world the way they do. I'm angry at how they feel the need to shackle everyone else in small-mindedness. And I'm angry because in their effusive naivete they're acting as the puppets of older, more sinister masterminds like Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon. The students probably don't see the big picture but the ones driving the actual agenda... they absolutely do. That's the despicable thing. The students are pawns, and they should be pitied for that.
Sorry for the stream of thought. Truth be told I did some right-wing activism in college myself, in the years following 9/11. I'm not the same person I was then, and I have regrets I'm projecting onto the current generation. Feels like the stakes are different this time, though.
-
Comment on What are your favorite home remedies or comforts when you're sick? in ~health
balooga LinkLots of tea recommendations in this thread, but I’ll add that the most comforting tea I’ve ever had during a raging sore throat is the Starbucks “medicine ball.” It used to be an off-menu secret...Lots of tea recommendations in this thread, but I’ll add that the most comforting tea I’ve ever had during a raging sore throat is the Starbucks “medicine ball.” It used to be an off-menu secret item but it’s now promoted as Honey Citrus Mint Tea. Since I’m not a corporate shill, here’s how to make your own home copycat version.
-
Comment on Script for the Superman movie released by James Gunn in ~movies
balooga LinkLately I’ve been dabbling in screenwriting as a hobby, still just getting familiar with the conventions of the format. I haven’t gotten far into it but I’m enjoying it so far. For those of us who...Lately I’ve been dabbling in screenwriting as a hobby, still just getting familiar with the conventions of the format. I haven’t gotten far into it but I’m enjoying it so far. For those of us who haven’t seen the film, does it follow this screenplay pretty closely?
-
Comment on When buttons were the hottest new thing in radio in ~tech
balooga LinkSeems like as relevant a place as any to remind folks that “radio button” UI elements are a skeuomorph of these old-fashioned analog buttons on radios. Because you can only tune to a single...Seems like as relevant a place as any to remind folks that “radio button” UI elements are a skeuomorph of these old-fashioned analog buttons on radios. Because you can only tune to a single frequency at a time, these buttons were engineered to physically un-press themselves when a different frequency is selected. This way the state of the button (pressed or unpressed) doubled as a visual indicator of the current selection. They also tended to make a satisfying czhunk! sound when activated.
These days most physical buttons are made more cheaply and return to their starting positions immediately (if they move at all). Indication is instead provided via a light or video display. This is mechanically simpler, so arguably more reliable, but at the cost of accessibility since tactile feedback is no longer present. And of course, tons of devices are on the market now with nothing but a touchscreen attempting to do it all, which is unworkable for the visually impaired, error-prone, dangerous for some use cases like car dashboards, and completely decoupled from the actual functionality it controls.
But ironically, the radio button lives on in software displayed on those very touchscreens, minus the physical characteristics that made it especially useful in the first place. It’s kind of like the ubiquitous “save icon” that’s still everywhere today, but only people of a certain age even recognize as a floppy disk and understand the metaphor. To everyone else it’s just some weird abstract shape like ⏩ or ⏸️.
-
Comment on US President Donald Trump isn't building a ballroom in ~society
balooga Link ParentThis is what I’ve been waiting for! Here’s hoping now that CNN is on the beat, other outlets will pick it up too. I know true Top Secret details aren’t going to leak but it’s gratifying that...This is what I’ve been waiting for! Here’s hoping now that CNN is on the beat, other outlets will pick it up too. I know true Top Secret details aren’t going to leak but it’s gratifying that sources exist who are willing to confirm the basics.
I've observed a similar effect with Pac-Man. My kiddo has described something like that with Minecraft but I can't vouch for that one.