(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
Meta's plan for launching glasses that people can use to secretly identify strangers on the street is to do it "during a dynamic political environment" when people who care about why that's bad are "focused on other concerns."
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
Meta Plans to Add Facial Recognition Technology to Its Smart Glasses
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:54 PM
Meta's plan for launching glasses that people can use to secretly identify strangers on the street is to do it "during a dynamic political environment" when people who care about why that's bad are "focused on other concerns."
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
This pops up every once in awhile and I always share it. Wu Tang goes in and out of popularity with the times, but there's no denying there was a Dream Team level of talent and brilliance on that roster. True artists.
February 14, 2026 at 1:32 AM
This pops up every once in awhile and I always share it. Wu Tang goes in and out of popularity with the times, but there's no denying there was a Dream Team level of talent and brilliance on that roster. True artists.
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
We should repeal this law I think
Paul please start the conversation to repeal this law
February 14, 2026 at 3:02 AM
We should repeal this law I think
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
Is antifa a "domestic terrorism organization," as President Trump claims? Check out my full interview with Christopher Mathias, author of the new book To Catch a Facist, at hatecomestomainstreet.com.
Cc: @letsgomathias.bsky.social
Cc: @letsgomathias.bsky.social
February 13, 2026 at 5:19 PM
Is antifa a "domestic terrorism organization," as President Trump claims? Check out my full interview with Christopher Mathias, author of the new book To Catch a Facist, at hatecomestomainstreet.com.
Cc: @letsgomathias.bsky.social
Cc: @letsgomathias.bsky.social
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
This. It would be really, really great if Democrats would start *consistently* calling out the way that the media is led around like f'ing children by the right-wing hate machine.
Don't just accept the frame. Call out the frame. Force viewers to confront the frame. It's so f'ing basic.
Don't just accept the frame. Call out the frame. Force viewers to confront the frame. It's so f'ing basic.
James Talarico: No one's ever asked me about the cost of housing. The only thing the media wants to ask me about are trans athletes.
The only minority destroying this country is the billionaires. Trans people are 1% of the population. We are all focused on the wrong 1%.
The only minority destroying this country is the billionaires. Trans people are 1% of the population. We are all focused on the wrong 1%.
February 13, 2026 at 9:53 PM
This. It would be really, really great if Democrats would start *consistently* calling out the way that the media is led around like f'ing children by the right-wing hate machine.
Don't just accept the frame. Call out the frame. Force viewers to confront the frame. It's so f'ing basic.
Don't just accept the frame. Call out the frame. Force viewers to confront the frame. It's so f'ing basic.
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
"They had Marimar Martinez on a dangerous activists list before they shot her" and "NIH is out of the business of pandemic preparation" and "they taunted the hungry children at Dilley with Thanksgiving food for the jailers" and "a lot of those empty PDFs are abuse videos" was all today
February 13, 2026 at 8:32 PM
"They had Marimar Martinez on a dangerous activists list before they shot her" and "NIH is out of the business of pandemic preparation" and "they taunted the hungry children at Dilley with Thanksgiving food for the jailers" and "a lot of those empty PDFs are abuse videos" was all today
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: “I was literally begging the agent who was holding me back to let me do CPR,” she told The Intercept.
The Woman Alex Pretti Was Killed Trying to Defend Is an EMT. Federal Agents Stopped Her From Giving First Aid.
One of the women Alex Pretti was killed trying to defend is an EMT. Federal agents stopped her from giving him first aid.
interc.pt
February 13, 2026 at 3:25 PM
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: “I was literally begging the agent who was holding me back to let me do CPR,” she told The Intercept.
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
“A year after the $1.1 billion overhaul,” which added a new lane each direction, “the 405’s rush hour drive times were a minute slower than they were before the workers broke ground. Five years later, traffic was worse at all times of day.”
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
A Tunnel to Transform Los Angeles
The ambitious Sepulveda Transit Corridor project — an automated subway line underneath Bel Air — aims to do something rare in LA: Get people out of their cars.
www.bloomberg.com
February 13, 2026 at 4:07 PM
“A year after the $1.1 billion overhaul,” which added a new lane each direction, “the 405’s rush hour drive times were a minute slower than they were before the workers broke ground. Five years later, traffic was worse at all times of day.”
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
On Thanksgiving, the immigrant children held at the Dilley detention center gathered in the gym for what they thought was a holiday feast.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
February 13, 2026 at 7:41 PM
On Thanksgiving, the immigrant children held at the Dilley detention center gathered in the gym for what they thought was a holiday feast.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
Insane, redditors find videos & audio hiding in plain sight in the DOJ’s online Epstein files due to .pdf files - congressional reps should check for the same ASAP before the DOJ scrubs them @chrismurphyct.bsky.social @reptedlieu.bsky.social
February 13, 2026 at 7:23 PM
Insane, redditors find videos & audio hiding in plain sight in the DOJ’s online Epstein files due to .pdf files - congressional reps should check for the same ASAP before the DOJ scrubs them @chrismurphyct.bsky.social @reptedlieu.bsky.social
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
I don't normally keep up with what the Army is reading these days, but I happened to click on this official recommended reading list for junior officers and it's appalling. 53 of 66 titles are corporate-style self-help books. This is a great way to hollow out and dumb down your military.
juniorofficer.army.mil
February 13, 2026 at 6:42 PM
I don't normally keep up with what the Army is reading these days, but I happened to click on this official recommended reading list for junior officers and it's appalling. 53 of 66 titles are corporate-style self-help books. This is a great way to hollow out and dumb down your military.
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
Make these companies household names: Geo Group, CoreCivic. There's been a lot of crying about how their stock is down, but stock prices do not determine whether these profiteers get millions in government contracts. Geo Group's profits are up 800 percent. EIGHT HUNDRED
February 13, 2026 at 7:03 PM
Make these companies household names: Geo Group, CoreCivic. There's been a lot of crying about how their stock is down, but stock prices do not determine whether these profiteers get millions in government contracts. Geo Group's profits are up 800 percent. EIGHT HUNDRED
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
From today's CoreCivic earnings call: “One of the big questions, I think, concerns for investors has been the pace of detention by ICE, that it's been below what investors thought it was going to be,” one caller said. “I think people thought we'd be at that 100,000 level.”
February 12, 2026 at 5:20 PM
From today's CoreCivic earnings call: “One of the big questions, I think, concerns for investors has been the pace of detention by ICE, that it's been below what investors thought it was going to be,” one caller said. “I think people thought we'd be at that 100,000 level.”
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
There are very few Democrats that I will not vote for: I voted for and ENDORSED Kamala Harris, for instance, in the last election.
Gavin Newsom is one of them. His election would be an active threat to transgender people, and I lay out the case in my piece.
Gavin Newsom is one of them. His election would be an active threat to transgender people, and I lay out the case in my piece.
February 13, 2026 at 6:44 PM
There are very few Democrats that I will not vote for: I voted for and ENDORSED Kamala Harris, for instance, in the last election.
Gavin Newsom is one of them. His election would be an active threat to transgender people, and I lay out the case in my piece.
Gavin Newsom is one of them. His election would be an active threat to transgender people, and I lay out the case in my piece.
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
There seems to be a lot of discussion about Gavin Newsom today.
I wanted to re-share this piece that I wrote, because I have a lot of center-to-left Dems that follow me that want to understand.
There are very good reasons transgender people do not like Gavin Newsom.
I wanted to re-share this piece that I wrote, because I have a lot of center-to-left Dems that follow me that want to understand.
There are very good reasons transgender people do not like Gavin Newsom.
Why Transgender People Are Not Feeling Gavin Newsom
We have seen this song and dance before.
www.erininthemorning.com
February 13, 2026 at 6:43 PM
There seems to be a lot of discussion about Gavin Newsom today.
I wanted to re-share this piece that I wrote, because I have a lot of center-to-left Dems that follow me that want to understand.
There are very good reasons transgender people do not like Gavin Newsom.
I wanted to re-share this piece that I wrote, because I have a lot of center-to-left Dems that follow me that want to understand.
There are very good reasons transgender people do not like Gavin Newsom.
Actually just believe that cities and/or states shouldn't be allowed to settle cases like this in order to prevent internal communications from coming out.
Seattle Police was willing to pay nearly 30 million in tax payer money to settle this vehicular murder in which officers then trash talked the victim they killed. Makes me wonder what else they didn’t want to come up if it was to go to court since what we already know is already terrible
February 13, 2026 at 6:34 PM
Actually just believe that cities and/or states shouldn't be allowed to settle cases like this in order to prevent internal communications from coming out.
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
I’m just going to leave this here
February 13, 2026 at 5:54 PM
I’m just going to leave this here
wrong
I think most (not all) of the "I will never vote for Gavin Newsom" people are communists who are mad that Americans don't like communism and want to destroy the Democratic party out of revenge. They don't care how many elections Republicans win or how many trans people die as long as the Dems fall.
February 13, 2026 at 5:55 PM
wrong
yo wait that is supposed to be Jasmine Crockett???
You could've just used photographs if your artist was going to phone it in this badly.
You could've shown that artist what Jasmine Crockett looks like.
You also could've put focus on the two people who've actually won elections and are leading.
You also could've just left the Nazi tattoo guy off.
You could've shown that artist what Jasmine Crockett looks like.
You also could've put focus on the two people who've actually won elections and are leading.
You also could've just left the Nazi tattoo guy off.
A base that has long made pragmatic, sober decisions appears increasingly attracted to charismatic outsiders who promise to break from the party’s failures of the last decade. They see their party’s leaders as feckless and inept.
It’s the Democratic Tea Party, with a twist. trib.al/mC5cBDA
It’s the Democratic Tea Party, with a twist. trib.al/mC5cBDA
February 13, 2026 at 4:34 PM
yo wait that is supposed to be Jasmine Crockett???
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
Oh imagine that! Don’t give discord your face and certainly not your ID
February 12, 2026 at 8:34 PM
Oh imagine that! Don’t give discord your face and certainly not your ID
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
this is comically evil. brazenly anti-social. just absolute black-pilled nihilism. we will not have a republic, we will not be free, until we regulate these companies to the point where — at a bare minimum — they're too afraid to put stuff like this down on paper.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
February 13, 2026 at 2:54 PM
this is comically evil. brazenly anti-social. just absolute black-pilled nihilism. we will not have a republic, we will not be free, until we regulate these companies to the point where — at a bare minimum — they're too afraid to put stuff like this down on paper.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
mods on vacation. time to deep fry a turkey inside the house
Note: The social media person is taking a planned vacation next week. Recalls will go out on Thursday as is the custom but subscribe for recall emails so you don't miss them. The social media person will be *absolutely unreachable* and any content you see from our accounts will be pre-scheduled.
February 13, 2026 at 3:25 PM
mods on vacation. time to deep fry a turkey inside the house
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
When we were evaluating them at the hospital I worked at over a decade ago, surgeons tried them and the response was "I guess I could see how this could be useful with a lot of caveats, but it's a lot easier to see how it will be terrible and make us look like assholes and creeps" and that was that.
I keep bringing up Googleglass because it’s a reminder that widespread opprobrium is still a useful tool. If your friend says he plans on buying them, tell him they are for creeps. If someone shows up to your party with them, ask them to leave. Brand these as a product for losers and pervs.
February 13, 2026 at 2:45 PM
When we were evaluating them at the hospital I worked at over a decade ago, surgeons tried them and the response was "I guess I could see how this could be useful with a lot of caveats, but it's a lot easier to see how it will be terrible and make us look like assholes and creeps" and that was that.
Reposted by (VFP) Strategic Gravitas Reserve
The Project 2025 author is using millions of dollars in USAID money for his own security detail.
It is estimated that 762,000 people have *already died* as a result of Elon Musk and Russell Vought’s obscene murder of USAID, including more than 500,000 children.
Vought is a mass murderer.
It is estimated that 762,000 people have *already died* as a result of Elon Musk and Russell Vought’s obscene murder of USAID, including more than 500,000 children.
Vought is a mass murderer.
Exclusive: White House uses USAID funds for budget director Vought's security, documents show
The White House budget office is using millions of dollars from the former U.S. foreign aid agency to pay for the security detail of Russell Vought, President Donald Trump's budget chief and an archit...
www.reuters.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:46 PM
The Project 2025 author is using millions of dollars in USAID money for his own security detail.
It is estimated that 762,000 people have *already died* as a result of Elon Musk and Russell Vought’s obscene murder of USAID, including more than 500,000 children.
Vought is a mass murderer.
It is estimated that 762,000 people have *already died* as a result of Elon Musk and Russell Vought’s obscene murder of USAID, including more than 500,000 children.
Vought is a mass murderer.