iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ok! Glad you finally agree!

000

I’m not sure why you’re arguing a point I never made or seem to think that people are only motivated to action by politically anointed leaders but 🤷‍♂️.

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You're missing the point(s). You keep trying to shoe horn this into 'both sides need to be hierarchical' and of course not. As I wrote...the Democratic Party doesn't do that sort of thing. *That doesn't mean there isn't support for and actual violence on the Left* It manifests differently.

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Agreed! My comments were to Oliver’s take. And while I get it feels good to throw followers red meat by feeding their confirmation bias, I’d argue it only creates problems down the line. If political violence is bad, it’s ALL bad and we don’t waive it away when applied to terrible people.

000

The most frustrating thing about this (as an America, I’m sure Ukrainians have bigger concerns) is that he’ll never be held accountable. Probably the best we can hope for is he has a trash historical legacy.

And, a typical flaw in OPs thinking is thinking in binary terms: two things can both be problems but of unequal severity. That doesn’t mean the lesser threat should be treated as no threat. It gets missed in journalism and punditry all the time b/c it complicates the narrative but it’s still wrong

000

All those street fights with the Proud Boys and their ilk from 2015-2017 involved somebody Have We already forgot the wellspring of support for Luigi Mangino? Two assassination attempts on Trump? Kavanaugh? Minimize “random bloggers” all you want but that’s where the far right came from

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Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Kind of sloppy parsing of the issue. Yes, the GOP has totally normalized violence in politics and the Democratic Party hasn’t. That’s a big problem. BUT…Spend a moment here or elsewhere on social media and violent talk from people claiming to be Left isn’t hard to find. also a problem.

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That’s a shame…Spider Noir was fun.

000

Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Kinda crazy they're concerned about a technology that *may* be conscious but how many of those behind this decision have no problem eating animals that *are* conscious?

Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

He keeps trying to make ‘fetch’ happen…it’s not going to happen.

001

Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I wonder if the George W Bush version was the first time the narrative received significant pushback. I seem to recall numerous (?) voices replying “Bin Laden didn’t plan 9/11 because we vote for representatives every 2 years.”

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Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I don't want to connect dots that aren't there but given Trump's reported admiration for Hitler, did anyone else think of "flak tower" when he announced his triumphal arch was going to be loaded with weapons? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flak_to...

en.wikipedia.org

Flak tower - Wikipedia

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Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

But someone *does* decide. By prioritizing content Meta (and the rest of the popular platforms) very much does prevent their platforms from being ‘town squares’. What Meta wants is the appearance of free speech while monetizing users.

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Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

It’s almost like the various factions within the movement think they’ll never get a bite at the apple of being in power again and so are trying to rush through every pet project they can before November 2028

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Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Imagine thinking not knowing your address is a flex when it really demonstrates you’ve made yourself less competent than an average 7 year old. It probably won’t matter and he’ll be rich forever but being *that* out of touch would freak me out

Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

One word that could *never* be used to describe Obama the candidate or President is confrontational. He bent over backward to be conventional and conciliatory (and non-threatening). Confrontational, he was not. Aspirational…definitely.

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Obama didn’t have much of a legislative record either. Not saying AOC would be a good or bad candidate but literally no voter will base their decision on the number of bills a candidate sponsored.

0400

I used to think that about African Americans (Colin Powell seemed a possibility) but Obama (a one term senator with hardly any executive or legislative experience? AND with an uncomfortable record of befriending people with extremist views?) proved it can be done.

050

Yes, because everyone knows older people vote in such small numbers their votes don’t count!

020

Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I feel like one of the world leaders at the General Assembly needs to tell Trump this…

000

No matter how many likes you get, this will be a tragically underrated set of posts…

001

Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

There’s an alternate universe where Trump gets 75% of the things he wants (even the egregious, unamerican stuff) and his popularity is well over 50%. Thankfully he can’t help shooting himself in the foot. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/15/a...

nytimes.com

Trump’s Name Must Stay Off Kennedy Center, Judge Rules (Gift Article)

A federal judge said he would not approve a plan to inscribe President Trump’s name on the building.

000

Not sure that qualifies as a “lunge”. 🙄 He‘s a corrupt, incompetent, waste of flesh…there’s no need to exaggerate his actions. It just undermines your credibility.

000

They could cut the price of gas to $10/gallon to celebrate!!! 🎉🎉

But what day would we choose? The Dear Leader has declared so many total and complete victories! 😂

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Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

I think the country would be better off if we let 9-11 fade into history like the Spanish American War.

120

These things may sooth Trump’s ego and feed the base but I can’t help feeling they also contribute to eroding his credibility among governments and others…

000

Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Easy solution to this problem...Unleash the Swedes who: a) love crayfish b) for whom crayfish fishing is a popular pastime c) whose native crayfish populations have fallen d) have to get their crayfish from Turkey or further abroad www.theatlantic.com/science/2026...

theatlantic.com

American Crayfish Are Running Amok in Europe

What will it take for the Dutch to eat them?

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Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Which is another way of saying that after billions of dollars spent, Meta is still at the back of the pack.

000

Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Something people have been saying for (at least) 60 years.

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Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

"What seems to propel these activists is not the specific issue that at any given moment is causing them to feel...panic and fear, but instead the need to experience these sensations constantly." Solid analysis of the movement www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

theatlantic.com

The Apocalyptic Style in Woke Thinking

Much of the climate movement, particularly its most radical elements, has pivoted to Palestine.

000

Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

We are as far away from 9/11 as the Johnson administration was from Pearl Harbor. While it (and its aftermath) had a major impact on my life, I look forward to it fading from our collective memory as much as the War of 1812.

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Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

So much for the ‘we must defend Western civilization’ talk…

000

Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Bizarro article that misses the forest for the (Potemkin) trees…victory is now seen as getting traffic to 60-70% of pre-war levels through the Straits? Optimism is based on some wild assumptions And evidence is quotes by Trump? 🤦‍♂️

Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

New names for the Great Lakes: Lake America Lake America II - The Americaning Lake America III - The Final America Lake America IV - Return of America Lake America V - An America of America and America

Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

The Arday story *could* be a wake up call for people who claimed for years that they place facts and evidence over ideology. This is the left wing manifestation of election denialism. They face the risk of falling into the same cognitive black holes as MAGA has. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

theatlantic.com

The Jason Arday Truthers

The concerted effort to airbrush the late fabulist’s life

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Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

I was donating blood today and the young lady who was playing Dracula said she went to school to be a phlebotomist and was planning at working at a hospital but the pay was $13/hour!!!! By way of comparison, a local canoe rental place here is offering $16/hour.

Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

I occasionally think about the students of history a century or two from now who wonder at just why the U.S. decided to self-immolate.

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Dean Baratta @twsisu.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Lewis chessman-inspired rock carving.