iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

NFL+ Completely breaking and not allowing me to sign in on any device on the first Sunday of the season is pretty frustrating.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

It's not like we're wasting the money taking care of people. We're using productively to kill people and blow stuff up.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

If the Federal government isn't responsible to protect a state from attacks by a foreign enemy then why does it even exist? Apparently its job is to start wars and leave the American people to fend for themselves when it comes to defense.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

The MAGA, anti-immigrant, protectionist trade tribe and the liberal, eat the rich, billionaires are inherently evil tribe share a foundational assumption. Both are driven by a scarcity mindset and the fear that the prosperity of the "other" will deprive me of what is "rightfully mine".

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Why does this feel like Michael Scott declaring bankruptcy.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

I think invariably is too strong a word. Also, no one person no.mattet how wealthy can simply change the system as they see fit (Elon found that out) but greater wealth does provide greater influence. We all have some influence and most of us tend to prioritize our own interests in how we use it.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

A straw man with regard to policy to be sure. If we're making claims about the morality of possessing X amount of wealth, that's when I think we each need to consider where we fit into the calculus of health distribution globally.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

That's a better way of thinking about things. But are we willing to apply this same standard to ourselves as consumers? What about the people we employ? If I hire someone to help with yardwork how much do I have to pay him? How much do I have to tip my waitress to make her wage truly livable?

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

How doe you define "appropriation". Every occupation in a modern economy relies heavily on the labor of others to remain profitable. When does it go from being a free market exchange of goods and services to "appropriation"?

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

OK but what constitutes "actual work". Is the Amazon delivery guy doing actual work? What about a teacher, accountant, local book store owner, HR rep, graphic designer, attorney, realtor, insurance salesman, etc.? It's hard to argue that all of that is actual work but running a large company isn't.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

If that's true then don't condemn them for how much money they have but for their exploitive practices. Of course that requires you to provide some basis for those accusations.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Great. Then let's be honest about what we want and be ready for someone living on $3 a day in another country to say we should apply this standard globally and disperse some of our middle class American wealth (which puts most of us in the top 2 to 3% globally) elsewhere.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

A good argument for reform. We don't have to demonize the ultra-wealthy to make this argument. None of us think WE have too much even though most on this thread are probably in the top 2 to 3% globally. That makes us human, not evil. I'm all for reforms though.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Those are examples, not a definition. If the "tax dodging" is legal and without deception do we blame those folks avoiding taxation or the ones who write the tax laws? I certainly take every deduction allowed to me.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

And someone who is living on $3 a day manufacturing the consumer goods I enjoy could look at my lifestyle and call me exploitive. They wouldn't necessarily be wrong, either. It's easy to blame those wealthier than us than admit our own role in the system. Either way we should work to do better.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

By that definition the accumulation of wealth is not inherently exploitive. If someone acquires great wealth through activities that provide corresponding benefits to society at large they aren't being exploitive. It's difficult to demonstrate whether or not these benefits are occuring.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

This is an argument for economic policy for the greater good but it does nothing to address the question of how you determine whether someone's wealth is "earned" or the product of "exploitation".

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

I think he's pointing out that the fact there is no clearly agreed upon cutoff demonstrates a flaw in the original argument. The whole concept of "earning" vs. "exploiting" in capitalism gets pretty fuzzy when we dig into the details. Exploitation happens but it's hard to define.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

This was a sarcastic comment intended to point out the absurdity of the reasoning provided for requiring voter ID.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

This was a sarcastic comment intended to point out the absurdity of the reasoning provided for requiring voter ID.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

For God's sake you have to pay $100 for an Olive Garden pasta pass. Why not pay $100 to vote?

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

We've always been at war with eastasia.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

By this logic we should be charging $19.95 per vote.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

And hurting the economy. For an administration that claims to care about trade deficits they sure seem to be working hard to destroy our advantage in an economic sector (higher education) where we have the highest trade surplus in the world.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

This list reflects only 2nd read throws not 2nd or later. Correct? If a guy throws to his 3rd read that is reflected in this number. Right?

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

When I used to referee way back in the day we were always told that "even is on". Without something like VAR it was basically a judgment call of whether one player was clearly ahead further down the pitch than the other. You do need an objective standard but this feels closer to what I learned.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

This tournament just keeps getting better.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Awful shootout from Australia. Missed 2 of 4 high and 1 of the 2 that did go in was quite poor as well. Only worked because the keeper blind guessed the wrong way.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Baller move by Saleh kicking it right where the keeper is standing knowing he's going to guess and dive.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Somehow missing that first penalty way high like that feels worse coming from a center back.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

I feel bad for Senegal but that was a penalty and this tournament needed a 2 goal comeback and we didn't need another shootout to decide a first round knockout game. Plus, if the USMNT does its job tonight a chance to get revenge for 2014 could be sweet.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Not counting chickens but extra time here is good for the winner of tonight's match.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Let's go Belgium. Get another. I think I'd rather see them for the USMNT in the next round, especially if they have to play 30 extra minutes today.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Wait, are we saying that expanding the size of the court is abuse of power?

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Morocco deserved to win but it's a shame this Dutch team is already out. I think they've been a top 5 or 6 team in this tournament.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Never seen a keeper kick it in post save like that on a penalty.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

True. I don't think there's a no blood rule for soccer though. A bit rough with the substitution rules to force a player out of the game for bleeding. Plus I think there's generally a lot less skin to skin contact.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

They were playing with 10. Needed him back ASAP. They'll wash it at half time I bet.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

This ref is saving his cards for when the players start using weapons.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

That was called offsides on the field. Can't blame VAR for confirming it even though it was crazy tight.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Colombia needs to stop settling for these ambitious shots from well outside the box.

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Does Donald Trump think that US Passports are issued to people from other countries who are visiting the United States?

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Matthew Brooks @matthewrbrooks.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

It's an international feed. That's why.

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