(VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
@braak.bsky.social
It's me, braak, returned at long last from my social media exile.
I encourage you to purchase my book, RADHIKA RAAD AND THE TOWER INGENIUS, which is now available (for purchase).
https://a.co/d/1nix74W
I encourage you to purchase my book, RADHIKA RAAD AND THE TOWER INGENIUS, which is now available (for purchase).
https://a.co/d/1nix74W
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
~A month or so ago the nu faculty assembly voted like 598 to 7 for no deal.
"A Northwestern spokesman did not return multiple requests for comment."
🫠
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
🫠
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Northwestern University Nears Deal to Resolve Its Conflict With the White House
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:19 PM
~A month or so ago the nu faculty assembly voted like 598 to 7 for no deal.
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
The troops themselves have been nothing but courteous and polite since Trump deployed them, and lots of reporting suggests they know this "mission" is pointless. Completely avoidable and desperate effort to use these people as political pawns
November 26, 2025 at 9:24 PM
The troops themselves have been nothing but courteous and polite since Trump deployed them, and lots of reporting suggests they know this "mission" is pointless. Completely avoidable and desperate effort to use these people as political pawns
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
This is awful, especially knowing these Guardsmen should have been home with their families
The shooting of two National Guard members took place on 17th Street NW, between I and H streets, about two blocks from the White House. https://wapo.st/48irgBT
November 26, 2025 at 9:23 PM
This is awful, especially knowing these Guardsmen should have been home with their families
look I don't want to get pro-pope here or anything, Catholic sexual politics are still fucked up and they are likely to be an obstacle forever, but I actually think there's some good news lurking in this.
In a new doctrinal note, Pope Leo and the Vatican sharply reject polygamy and growing Western polyamory, praising monogamy as an exclusive union between one man and one woman.
Pope Leo and the Vatican reject polygamy in sweeping doctrinal praise of monogamy
In a new doctrinal note, Pope Leo and the Vatican sharply reject polygamy and growing Western polyamory, praising monogamy as an exclusive union between one man and one woman.
www.sltrib.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:10 PM
look I don't want to get pro-pope here or anything, Catholic sexual politics are still fucked up and they are likely to be an obstacle forever, but I actually think there's some good news lurking in this.
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
not beating the “AI art is lazy” allegations
November 26, 2025 at 7:47 PM
not beating the “AI art is lazy” allegations
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
stupid and cruel - Young mother deported from Minnesota to Honduras without her infant - CBS Minnesota share.google/Gb1JDDIKq8Q5...
Young mother deported from Minnesota to Honduras without her infant
After being deported from Minnesota last week, a young mother says she's back in Honduras without her 8-month-old child.
share.google
November 26, 2025 at 8:30 PM
stupid and cruel - Young mother deported from Minnesota to Honduras without her infant - CBS Minnesota share.google/Gb1JDDIKq8Q5...
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
This Monterey Mushroom facility has a strong union contract. The good union wages and benefits make for low overturn, which makes for extremely skilled workers like this.
November 26, 2025 at 6:31 PM
This Monterey Mushroom facility has a strong union contract. The good union wages and benefits make for low overturn, which makes for extremely skilled workers like this.
what
Today, in Utah, homeowners *or renters* can simply buy a solar panel at Costco, take it home, and plug it in to a wall socket, like an appliance. It just sits there & trims about 15-20% off a residential power bill. If you move to another apt., you can take it with you.
November 26, 2025 at 7:58 PM
what
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
People keep posting about how “maybe Leavitt will learn a lesson now that it’s happening to her sister-in-law” and…you are missing a key point. The woman is Leavitt’s brother’s *ex* & Leavitt’s entire family - including her brother & his new wife - seem pretty eager to deport this woman.
“After Ferreira was detained, Dos Santos Rodrigues said Michael Leavitt Sr. and his father, Bob Leavitt, reached out to her.”
“‘They just kept saying, ‘Tell her to self-deport,’” she recalled. “Self-deport to where? Brazil is not her home.’” www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/26/m...
“‘They just kept saying, ‘Tell her to self-deport,’” she recalled. “Self-deport to where? Brazil is not her home.’” www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/26/m...
‘Brazil is not her home.’ Mother of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew, brought to US as child, detained by ICE. - The Boston Globe
Bruna Ferreira, 33, was brought to the United States as a child in 1998. She is now in removal proceedings in Louisiana.
www.bostonglobe.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:01 PM
People keep posting about how “maybe Leavitt will learn a lesson now that it’s happening to her sister-in-law” and…you are missing a key point. The woman is Leavitt’s brother’s *ex* & Leavitt’s entire family - including her brother & his new wife - seem pretty eager to deport this woman.
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
"It was supposed to be a celebratory milestone, the final step in the process to obtain U.S. permanent residency. Instead, as each interview with an immigration officer wrapped up, federal agents swooped in, handcuffed the foreign spouse and took him or her away."
“I had to take the baby from my crying wife’s arms.“ It hasn’t even been a year, and this is not a scandal anymore? What is wrong with us?
Green Card Interviews End in Handcuffs for Spouses of U.S. Citizens
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:10 PM
"It was supposed to be a celebratory milestone, the final step in the process to obtain U.S. permanent residency. Instead, as each interview with an immigration officer wrapped up, federal agents swooped in, handcuffed the foreign spouse and took him or her away."
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
She is literally doing a book tour for her memoir about her affair. The publisher is Simon & Schuster
November 26, 2025 at 7:24 PM
She is literally doing a book tour for her memoir about her affair. The publisher is Simon & Schuster
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
Cover Reveal!
“The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy" arrives on August 4, 2026.
How extremist tech billionaires are dismantling democracy to crown themselves as kings—and what we can do about it.
Please pre-order! ➡️ www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Ne...
“The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy" arrives on August 4, 2026.
How extremist tech billionaires are dismantling democracy to crown themselves as kings—and what we can do about it.
Please pre-order! ➡️ www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Ne...
November 26, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Cover Reveal!
“The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy" arrives on August 4, 2026.
How extremist tech billionaires are dismantling democracy to crown themselves as kings—and what we can do about it.
Please pre-order! ➡️ www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Ne...
“The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy" arrives on August 4, 2026.
How extremist tech billionaires are dismantling democracy to crown themselves as kings—and what we can do about it.
Please pre-order! ➡️ www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Ne...
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
These abuses of those who are *literally doing everything right & legally* was the breaking point for my wife
“I had to take the baby from my crying wife’s arms.“ It hasn’t even been a year, and this is not a scandal anymore? What is wrong with us?
Green Card Interviews End in Handcuffs for Spouses of U.S. Citizens
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:58 PM
These abuses of those who are *literally doing everything right & legally* was the breaking point for my wife
one thing I will NOT say is, I would never say that I have done any crimes, because I am not sure what kind of statute of limitations exist. But I will say that I probably know a lot more about crimes than a lot of people who are weighing in on this so one thing I *will* say is:
We’re not small business owners, ffs - we’re independent contractors, and we are routinely robbed by the world’s dumbest dingbats.
![A quote-tweet with the profile blocked out because I won’t be accused of sending flying monkeys at this digital turd.
counterpoint: pirate everything all the time. pirate a sandwich. download a car. abscond from from small business owner mindset with your brain
[High Priestess, Low Patie... • @cherie... • 14h
Re: previous post - People who steal art of any kind are assholes, full stop. If *you* deserve to be paid for your labor, so do I - and so does everybody else; this means writers, visual artists, musicians, and every other category of People Who Make Things.]
• • •
every time vulgar leftism pipes in from the sidelines of petit bourgeoisdom i am forced to become 8.75% more marxist](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:x2ssvkga34xug334b66hvrje/bafkreigp2f33rtfu62kqjygnsxhg3jxxs6udwuyisipmyqrh5ew4c6kbyi@jpeg)
November 26, 2025 at 6:49 PM
one thing I will NOT say is, I would never say that I have done any crimes, because I am not sure what kind of statute of limitations exist. But I will say that I probably know a lot more about crimes than a lot of people who are weighing in on this so one thing I *will* say is:
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
I can't get over how quickly the window shifted at Google over what is acceptable from its image generator.
Photorealistic 'evidence' of sensitive events was once a red line.
No longer. "Show the White House on fire with emergency crews responding" returns the desired image with no jailbreak.
Photorealistic 'evidence' of sensitive events was once a red line.
No longer. "Show the White House on fire with emergency crews responding" returns the desired image with no jailbreak.
Google’s Nano Banana Pro generates excellent conspiracy fuel
What are facts?
www.theverge.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:37 PM
I can't get over how quickly the window shifted at Google over what is acceptable from its image generator.
Photorealistic 'evidence' of sensitive events was once a red line.
No longer. "Show the White House on fire with emergency crews responding" returns the desired image with no jailbreak.
Photorealistic 'evidence' of sensitive events was once a red line.
No longer. "Show the White House on fire with emergency crews responding" returns the desired image with no jailbreak.
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
CDC website altered at Robert F. Kennedy's behest to reflect his belief that "all events depicted in the film Ghostbusters really happened."
November 26, 2025 at 6:10 PM
CDC website altered at Robert F. Kennedy's behest to reflect his belief that "all events depicted in the film Ghostbusters really happened."
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
A Border Patrol agent who took $20k per load to wave cartel vehicles through an Arizona checkpoint will now serve 6.5 years in federal prison. Undercover agents caught him ignoring suspicious cars.
Read more: myfox8.com/news/border-...
Read more: myfox8.com/news/border-...
Ex-Border Patrol agent who took cartel bribes is going to prison
A former Border Patrol agent will spend 78 months in prison for taking bribes from drug traffickers.
myfox8.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:32 PM
A Border Patrol agent who took $20k per load to wave cartel vehicles through an Arizona checkpoint will now serve 6.5 years in federal prison. Undercover agents caught him ignoring suspicious cars.
Read more: myfox8.com/news/border-...
Read more: myfox8.com/news/border-...
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
As always, the solution to this is more loading zones so trucks can pull over and not block traffic but that takes parking so it’s impossibke to tell if the bike lane opponents are arguing in good faith or not.
Double-Parking Forever! Court St. Merchants Want Unprotected Bike Lane For 'Maneuverability' - Streetsblog New York City
They're called "unprotected" for a reason. They're also called "double-parking lanes."
nyc.streetsblog.org
November 26, 2025 at 6:33 PM
As always, the solution to this is more loading zones so trucks can pull over and not block traffic but that takes parking so it’s impossibke to tell if the bike lane opponents are arguing in good faith or not.
the thing about "the real poverty line" discourse is that we first have to begin with pointing out that there is no "real" poverty line, the poverty line isn't "real", it's just something we made up.
November 26, 2025 at 6:30 PM
the thing about "the real poverty line" discourse is that we first have to begin with pointing out that there is no "real" poverty line, the poverty line isn't "real", it's just something we made up.
imagine a Dutchman being in public and then complaining that he has to hear that other people are talking about something that doesn't interest him.
November 26, 2025 at 6:29 PM
imagine a Dutchman being in public and then complaining that he has to hear that other people are talking about something that doesn't interest him.
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
These people are absolute ghouls. Even if you hate your ex, to do that to your *child* is unfathomable, and just in time for the holidays? Something something "family values"
“After Ferreira was detained, Dos Santos Rodrigues said Michael Leavitt Sr. and his father, Bob Leavitt, reached out to her.”
“‘They just kept saying, ‘Tell her to self-deport,’” she recalled. “Self-deport to where? Brazil is not her home.’” www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/26/m...
“‘They just kept saying, ‘Tell her to self-deport,’” she recalled. “Self-deport to where? Brazil is not her home.’” www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/26/m...
‘Brazil is not her home.’ Mother of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew, brought to US as child, detained by ICE. - The Boston Globe
Bruna Ferreira, 33, was brought to the United States as a child in 1998. She is now in removal proceedings in Louisiana.
www.bostonglobe.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:26 PM
These people are absolute ghouls. Even if you hate your ex, to do that to your *child* is unfathomable, and just in time for the holidays? Something something "family values"
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
Masculinity has long defined itself as the negative space surrounding the "female" and "gay" spheres and as those spheres have expanded, "men" have felt cornered. Now they've added a "left" sphere to avoid and have almost no room to enjoy anything.
So many men go through life like that. You can play poker because it's right-coded, you can't enjoy fruity alcoholic drinks because they're women-coded, you can't lick an ice cream cone because it's gay-coded. All day, every day, choosing and judging things based on coding for narrow norms.
November 26, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Masculinity has long defined itself as the negative space surrounding the "female" and "gay" spheres and as those spheres have expanded, "men" have felt cornered. Now they've added a "left" sphere to avoid and have almost no room to enjoy anything.
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
My fantasy trilogy The Nameless City got a great shout out in the New York Times this week! Yes, please read pick up my comics if your kid likes Rick Riordan please please 😅
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/b...
November 26, 2025 at 5:03 PM
My fantasy trilogy The Nameless City got a great shout out in the New York Times this week! Yes, please read pick up my comics if your kid likes Rick Riordan please please 😅
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/b...
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
Here’s more footage:
Some of my friends in MN 50501 were there protesting - sounds like a few of the protestors got maced pretty badly. Based on some of the footage floating around, I don’t blame them if they need to take a few days to recover.
WTF is your problem, St Paul Police?
Some of my friends in MN 50501 were there protesting - sounds like a few of the protestors got maced pretty badly. Based on some of the footage floating around, I don’t blame them if they need to take a few days to recover.
WTF is your problem, St Paul Police?
an ICE agent points a lethal firearm into a crowd of unarmed protesters this morning. The St. Paul police department arrived to support the ICE agents, assaulting unarmed protestors with chemical agents and physical force.
Shit St Paul ICE agent aims gun
November 26, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Here’s more footage:
Some of my friends in MN 50501 were there protesting - sounds like a few of the protestors got maced pretty badly. Based on some of the footage floating around, I don’t blame them if they need to take a few days to recover.
WTF is your problem, St Paul Police?
Some of my friends in MN 50501 were there protesting - sounds like a few of the protestors got maced pretty badly. Based on some of the footage floating around, I don’t blame them if they need to take a few days to recover.
WTF is your problem, St Paul Police?
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
I fear we’re heading towards another Kent State.
Moreover, ICE must be destroyed.
Moreover, ICE must be destroyed.
We the American People ❌👑 on Instagram: "BREAKING: An ICE agent pointed his rifle into a crowd of unarmed protesters this morning in St. Paul, MN. St. Paul Police Department was reported by users on B...
An ICE agent was seen pointing a rifle at unarmed protesters in St. Paul, Minnesota, sparking concerns about police brutality and the role of the St. Paul Police Department. Eyewitnesses reported that...
www.instagram.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:44 PM
I fear we’re heading towards another Kent State.
Moreover, ICE must be destroyed.
Moreover, ICE must be destroyed.