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Derek Balling

@derekballing.com

Not Team Red. Not Team Blue. Team Not-Orange. RPG & computer nerd. PoliSci obsessed. Self-identify as ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช citizen, the place I _chose_ to become a citizen. Born and remain a ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ citizen, for whatever _that_ is worth these days. "I have friends everywhere."

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Latest posts by Derek Balling @derekballing.com

Iโ€™m not sure why every country out there isnโ€™t just like โ€œICE: youโ€™re not permitted here, and thereโ€™s nothing you can do about it.โ€

06.02.2026 01:06 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Well they live far away, use it on their phones, so itโ€™s a whole process of โ€œswitching her devices over to use the new appโ€ โ€ฆ which I donโ€™t really want to do remotely.

01.02.2026 13:22 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

If you want to ward off ICE you use GARLIC and HOLY WATER.

01.02.2026 04:49 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I look forward to your Article V efforts. Sign me up for your newsletter :-)

01.02.2026 04:46 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I own my own domain so itโ€™s theoretically easy, but my 75-year old mom has an email address in my domain so itโ€™s difficult again.

01.02.2026 04:33 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
a man in a helmet with the words " this is the way " above him Alt: The Mandalorian with the words " this is the way " above him
31.01.2026 05:00 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Spinal Tap
Ennio Morricone
Pink Floyd
The Police
Rammstein

29.01.2026 03:51 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Have you moved from "stickers on your laptop" to "patches on your body armor"?

27.01.2026 21:32 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

@housedemocrats.bsky.social Just an FYI: I have donated to one or two specific candidates, in races near and dear to me. If anyone other than those people I've donated to spams my phone (as y'all have been -- tirelessly) I will delete, and - worse - "mark as spam".

Consent matters.

27.01.2026 17:49 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Thatโ€™s why you use VPNs while doing this sort of shit.

27.01.2026 00:13 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Irony: Pretti dying as an ICE observer has underscored the _importance_ of ICE observers. Without the dozens of camera angles we now have on that tragedy, the official [bullshit] narrative might've been able to hold up. But thanks to other observers, the truth was obvious.

26.01.2026 12:53 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Gimli: Never thought Iโ€™d die fighting side by side with a libertarian.
Legolas: Taxation is theft
Gimli: Please shut the fuck up and put your gas mask on.

Gimli: Never thought Iโ€™d die fighting side by side with a libertarian. Legolas: Taxation is theft Gimli: Please shut the fuck up and put your gas mask on.

Spotted in the Liberal Gun Owners subredditโ€ฆ

26.01.2026 01:10 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Predator air-wrestle meme with Dillon as โ€œshoveling snowโ€ and Arnie as โ€œprotestingโ€ with their clenched fists as โ€œFuck ICEโ€

Predator air-wrestle meme with Dillon as โ€œshoveling snowโ€ and Arnie as โ€œprotestingโ€ with their clenched fists as โ€œFuck ICEโ€

25.01.2026 18:52 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Perot was crazy but he wasnโ€™t wrong about the chokehold the two parties have on democracy.

Some day let me share with you the replacement constitution Iโ€™ve been working on (disclosure: with AI help) in the hopes of some day shit-canning the train-wreck we have now, but keeping the spirit intact.

25.01.2026 17:51 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image
21.01.2026 18:13 ๐Ÿ‘ 23681 ๐Ÿ” 7503 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 661 ๐Ÿ“Œ 356

Proton is a great solution.

19.01.2026 05:23 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

The right solution would be to double down, schedule as may high-profile games in that window as possible, and blame Trump for why Republican leaning football fans canโ€™t watch any of their college football championship games.

19.01.2026 04:56 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Just sayingโ€ฆ. In the 18th Century, a bunch of under-equipped civilians went to war with the greatest military power on earth for a whole lot less than what the Federal Government is doing to its subjects now.

17.01.2026 20:05 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Because thatโ€™s not how the Insurrection Clause is applied. SCOTUS gets a lot wrong but they got that one right. Itโ€™s for Congress to decide - as a national matter - what is insurrection or not, rather than it being state-level piece-meal.

17.01.2026 00:24 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

No requirement to use a bible whatsoever. Thereโ€™s that whole separation of church and state thing.

So much misinformation. Have the conflict-bots reached BlueSky?

17.01.2026 00:22 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Iโ€™ve been working on this ChatGPT model for the past several months, asking it to calculate the odds of being 1930s Germany, or an โ€œilliberal middle groundโ€, or โ€œconstitutional guard rails hold up and course-correctโ€.

Current likelihood: 34%, 66%, 0%

16.01.2026 01:52 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

COMPUTE! is still a thing?

16.01.2026 01:29 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Your ideas intrigue me. Do you have a newsletter I can subscribe to?

16.01.2026 01:18 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

The proper response to โ€œshow me your proof of citizenshipโ€ is โ€œfuck all the way offโ€.

That level of defiance against tyrannical orders should be proof enough of your being a natural born citizen.

16.01.2026 01:08 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Really need to watch Inglourious Basterds again.

15.01.2026 03:34 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Especially since itโ€™s CBS News reporting it. ICE lies. CBS sells it.

15.01.2026 03:31 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
ICE/CBP/DHS = Sicherheitspolizei
Change my mind (meme)

ICE/CBP/DHS = Sicherheitspolizei Change my mind (meme)

15.01.2026 03:26 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

"This is what happens when civilians are allowed to just photograph ICE agents willy-nilly. They distract these noble heroes from the mission, and cause injuries possibly deaths." - JD Vance, probably

12.01.2026 15:23 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Saw that Emo Phillips is back out on tour. Look, Emo was never really _my_ thing, but I'm so ridiculously happy that there's enough people out there that he IS their thing that he's still able to book tours. Great to see a quirky oddball comic playing the long game like that.

12.01.2026 15:07 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Orphaned

Cartoon by Nick Anderson

10.01.2026 19:10 ๐Ÿ‘ 27 ๐Ÿ” 7 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0