iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Zach Bigalke (he/him/his) @zbigalke.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Sitting outside this evening together, @mmbigalke.bsky.social saw a shooting star. That was Lady — a shooting star burning brilliantly for her moment in our lives. I'll remember her lots of ways, but one that sticks now is her nestled cozily in a pile of blankets and pillows. Sweet dreams, pup.

A digital ink drawing of a pit bull nestled in a pile of blankets and pillows

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Zach Bigalke (he/him/his) @zbigalke.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Grief is a real bastard.

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Zach Bigalke (he/him/his) @zbigalke.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Went to a paint-and-sip tonight at the local brewery that was sponsored by Centre County PAWS, the shelter where we adopted Lady. Felt good to get out, see a cute shelter pup named Hershey, get some dog kisses, paint for the first time in a long while, and give to a good cause.

A cute little brown bulldog pup named Hershey

A painting of a dog and cat jn a canoe under the moonlight

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Zach Bigalke (he/him/his) @zbigalke.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

My good girl took her final sleep. She was the most peaceful pup I've ever seen. No pain. No suffering. Absolute dignity as such a majestic beast deserves. We grew up so much together... which feels weird to say, given we got her right after I turned 37. But I'm better because she was in my life.

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Zach Bigalke (he/him/his) @zbigalke.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Drew a few more sketches of Lady today while it rains...

A digital ink sketch of a pit bull staring at a camera

A digital ink sketch of a pit bull rolling around happily in grass

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justmelaniebigalke (she/they) @mmbigalke.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

successfully convinced @zbigalke.bsky.social that one night out of the car would be a good idea. he should be landing in Madison shortly.

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Marcelius Braxton @marceliusb.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

“This is not who we are.”❌ “I’m going to speak up and take action to make sure this is not who/what we continue to be.”✅ “We’re acting like [insert region/country/oppressive group outside the U.S.]”❌ “The U.S. has a long history of oppression, discrimination, and harm that informs the present.”✅

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justmelaniebigalke (she/they) @mmbigalke.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

Poverty is a systemic failure not a personal failure. Don't buy into calvanist prosperity doctrine garbage. Poverty is a SYSTEMIC FAILURE.

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Marcelius Braxton @marceliusb.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

When people die (especially public figures), it reminds people of how they lived. That means who they were, what they said, and what they did. Dying doesn’t erase those things; it amplifies them. And when you say/do bad things in life, death acts as a reminder and people react in a variety of ways.

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Dave Against The Machine🏴 @johnbrownbread.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

The fascists can now tell you what apps you can have on your phone. They don’t even need to pass a law any more.

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justmelaniebigalke (she/they) @mmbigalke.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Cool cool. Cannot forsee any issues with that at all.

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Puff the Magic Hater @mskellymhayes.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

I also have no nostalgia for the road to fascism, which is a trap I think a lot of liberal and progressive folks are falling into—romanticizing the conditions that preceded this moment of acceleration. The path that led to this mess is not the way out.

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Miss Aja @brat2381.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

92% of Black Women had it on their bingo card but folks weren’t trying to hear us🤷🏾‍♀️

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justmelaniebigalke (she/they) @mmbigalke.bsky.social · 22/09/2025

Queer joy is a radical act. Some reading this weekend.

Photo of bookcover for *Someplace Generous, An Inclusive Romance Anthology* edited by Elaina Ellis and Amber Flame

Photo of the cover of *The Pairing* by Casey McQuiston

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System Working As Intended @systemnotbroken.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

Endgame? Comply with US doublethink or rot in foreign prisons. Swazi activists rage at US embassy: Trump paid King Mswati $500M to dump foreign convicts in their impoverished nation. Trump is outsourcing incarceration with corrupt politicians.

peoplesdispatch.org

Exiled Swazi activists protest Trump deportation deal outside US embassy in South Africa : Peoples Dispatch

King Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute monarch, is accused of accepting USD 500 million from the Trump administration to accept deported criminals in Swaziland.

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justmelaniebigalke (she/they) @mmbigalke.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

Fuck neoliberalism and fuck Ezra Klein. This is just hate mongering on the DL

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justmelaniebigalke (she/they) @mmbigalke.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

So other than jail time and penalties, why should one keep paying federal taxes? Asking for a friend.

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Sheryl Weikal says Prosecute ICE @leftistlawyer.com · 20/09/2025

Trans people: can we have rights? Conservatives: no because we're killing you. Centrists: No because you're the reason we can't have unity in this country. Liberals: No and this is why we have Trump, because you're so selfish. Leftists: No because we have to focus on real problems first.

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Wagatwe Wanjuki @wagatwe.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

I think the problem with rallying around the most privileged when they've been targeted is that it never trickles down. they're touted as examples for "all of us" but it's not actually true.

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justmelaniebigalke (she/they) @mmbigalke.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

...or the Black female federal employees persecuted and fired. the missing prisoners after the closure of the camps in Florida. genocide with our tax dollars. It took a rich white guy being censored for white America to sort of start freaking out en masse about their rights. That's harsh.

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Marcelius Braxton @marceliusb.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

I keep getting asked if I’m worried about my job because I often speak up about issues. The answer is no. I’ve learned over the years that if employers want to hire you or if they want to fire you, they can always find a reason. It’s not worth compromising your morals or values for anyone.

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Sheryl Weikal says Prosecute ICE @leftistlawyer.com · 20/09/2025

Now that you're (justly) angry about Jimmy Kimmel, did you know that Palestinian Americans were evicted in 2023 and 2024 for flying Palestinian flags in their windows? It's true. I have a case before the Seventh Circuit about it.

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Sheryl Weikal says Prosecute ICE @leftistlawyer.com · 19/09/2025

Folks, you can't report the United States to its manager. There's no superhero coming to save us. We don't need one giant act of heroism. We need millions of small acts of solidarity. Help one person in your community for nothing in return. Then, do it again. And again. That's the revolution.

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Puff the Magic Hater @mskellymhayes.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

Legacy media and cable news reduced Trump's aggression against Chicago to a question of whether troops would be sent immediately. When he said he was taking his fascist military spectacle elsewhere, those media players declared the situation over—while waves of federal agents attack our neighbors.

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sarah jeong @sarahjeong.bsky.social · 14/09/2025

idk if you've seen this south korean editorial that ran a few days ago. google translate version scorched my eyebrows www.hani.co.kr/arti/opinion...

Maga is fundamentally a populist white racism.
The slogan "Make America Great Again" is more accurately described as "Make White
America Greater." The fact that the tariff policy insisted on a 50% tariff only on steel and aluminum stems from the concentration of these groups in the Rust Belt.

The massive crackdown on illegal immigrants at the Hyundai-LG Energy Solutions joint venture plant in Georgia must be understood in this context. The scenes of our workers being chained and escorted away were reminiscent of the dragging of African slaves in the 18th and 19th centuries. The
Department of Homeland Security boasted of
"the largest single-site raid in history," and Immigration and Customs Enforcement even brazenly released footage of the raid, which was highly violating human rights, as if to boast of their "achievement."

Far-right whites may have secretly rejoiced.
Even politicians like the Georgia governor and local lawmakers, who had been active in attracting factories, have shifted their stance and sympathized with their grievances. This is likely because it's difficult to ignore the anti-immigrant sentiment of native Americans. Like the McCarthyism that swept through American society in the 1950s, irrational madness dominates American society. The recent visa issue, which could have been resolved diplomatically with advance notice from an ally, is difficult to explain beyond political maneuvering. The fact that they mobilized helicopters and armored vehicles for show, as if they had been caught, is difficult to explain.

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ElieNYC @elienyc.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

Karen Attiah, a black woman, got fired for A: accurately quoting what Charlie Kirk said about Black women B: Accurately observing that most white Americans seem permissive of white violence. It's bullshit, but almost expected in this white supremacist country.

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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 15/09/2025

It may be distasteful but it is not illegal to mock someone's death and it should not warrant arrest, ever. The 1st Amendment exists specifically to protect disfavored speech and what is happening now is one of the greatest threats to free speech in the United States.

A screenshot of a social media post from Greg Abbott. The text says: "This is what happened to the person who was mocking Charlie Kirk’s assassination at Texas Tech. FAFO." The attached image shows a young woman with long braids, wearing a patterned tank top and jeans, being handcuffed by two police officers in uniform. Her facial expression looks tense as she turns her head. Below, Abbott’s earlier post is quoted: "Definitely picked the wrong school to taunt the death of Charlie Kirk. Thanks Texas Tech." The post shows thousands of replies, retweets, and likes.

A screenshot of a social media post from Eric Daugherty. The text says: "🚨 UPDATE: It's being reported that this demon who danced on Charlie Kirk's grave has been expelled from Texas Tech. She said: 'f-ck y'all, yo homie dad!' They're finding out." Below is a still from a video showing a college campus walkway with students standing around. A woman with long hair, a backpack, and a tank top is at the center. On-screen text in the video reads: "Woke college student at Texas Tech mocks Charlie Kirk’s dath. 'Fck y’all... yo homie d*ad'. Make her famous." The post notes it was reshared from Gabriel and shows 3.5M views.

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Marcelius Braxton @marceliusb.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

Selective outrage is indicative of disingenuous intent. Using political violence to push agendas before knowing facts, ignoring political violence that doesn’t support an agenda, and ignoring facts/stats about political violence shows one has little interest in preventing violence/improving society.

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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 12/09/2025

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shaka 🦁👑 @beejonson.me · 12/09/2025

charlie kirk: "Black women do not have the brain processing power to be taken seriously. You have to go steal a white person's slot." kamala harris: "... political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence."

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ElieNYC @elienyc.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

The governor of Utah is sad that the suspect they have in custody for the murder of Charlie Kirk won't let him start a race war.

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Dr. Manhattan @thenewthinker.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

if you want to condemn violence, condemn the grotesque, gratuitous violence visited on the Palestinians every day.

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Free DC @freedcproject.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

Today, students from Georgetown, Howard, GWU, and American University walked out against Trump’s unlawful military occupation of DC. They’re united with DC residents and allies across the nation to stop this wannabe dictator’s power grab. ✊🏽 Stand with us. #FreeDC #WeAreAllDC

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justmelaniebigalke (she/they) @mmbigalke.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

Can't stop wondering this morning... Is it a bad thing to be "robbed" of a parent that is actively working to dismantle human rights and autonomy? Not to be all toxic positive but maybe some kids are better off when their asshole parents are assassinated? Anyway, the substance of my thoughts...

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justmelaniebigalke (she/they) @mmbigalke.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

Live free (of vaccines) and die (of preventable disease)

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Michael Clemens @mclem.org · 28/08/2025

This is a real photograph of Washington, DC this week, where the United States president has ordered military occupation in peacetime, and ordered the display of colossal portraits of himself. www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Washington, DC under military occupation in last August 2025, with banners proclaiming the absolute power of the primus inter pares

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Marcelius Braxton @marceliusb.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

In ~5 years the narrative drastically shifted from speaking up about wrongs and challenging oppressive systems to staying quiet and accepting oppressive systems for self-preservation. But many will find that self-preservation doesn’t really exist. It only delays the inevitable unless you fight back.

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Angry @angrystaffer.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

Like I said. They aren’t embarrassed by history, it’s their playbook.

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justmelaniebigalke (she/they) @mmbigalke.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

Huh. Seems ominous. www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-t...

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Marcelius Braxton @marceliusb.bsky.social · 23/08/2025

For context, the requirement for an HSI (Hispanic-Serving Institutions) is 25%+ Hispanic or Latino undergraduate full-time. There are over 500 HSIs, including many Research 1 institutions. Congressional appropriations for HSIs in 2024 was over $350 million. This will be devastating for many schools.

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