Derek Balling
@derekballing.com
Not Team Red. Not Team Blue. Team Not-Orange.
RPG & computer nerd. PoliSci obsessed.
Self-identify as 🇮🇪 citizen, the place I _chose_ to become a citizen.
Born and remain a 🇺🇸 citizen, for whatever _that_ is worth these days.
"I have friends everywhere."
RPG & computer nerd. PoliSci obsessed.
Self-identify as 🇮🇪 citizen, the place I _chose_ to become a citizen.
Born and remain a 🇺🇸 citizen, for whatever _that_ is worth these days.
"I have friends everywhere."
@theonion.com how were y'all managing to create AI Slop in 2009?
Where're this girl's legs at, my dudes?
Where're this girl's legs at, my dudes?
December 25, 2025 at 9:39 PM
@theonion.com how were y'all managing to create AI Slop in 2009?
Where're this girl's legs at, my dudes?
Where're this girl's legs at, my dudes?
Whoever programmed Apple Music is a Bad Bad Person.
“Play Christmas Music” has Whamageddon in heavy rotation (heard it three times in an hour)
That’s not AI…. That’s an intentional hateful act.
“Play Christmas Music” has Whamageddon in heavy rotation (heard it three times in an hour)
That’s not AI…. That’s an intentional hateful act.
December 25, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Whoever programmed Apple Music is a Bad Bad Person.
“Play Christmas Music” has Whamageddon in heavy rotation (heard it three times in an hour)
That’s not AI…. That’s an intentional hateful act.
“Play Christmas Music” has Whamageddon in heavy rotation (heard it three times in an hour)
That’s not AI…. That’s an intentional hateful act.
Fun fact: Any National Guard soldier who obeys an order to deploy in a US city is - prima facie - obeying an illegal order. SCOTUS has ruled, and there is no higher authority on the matter of that illegality.
December 24, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Fun fact: Any National Guard soldier who obeys an order to deploy in a US city is - prima facie - obeying an illegal order. SCOTUS has ruled, and there is no higher authority on the matter of that illegality.
“What’s that?”
“An atom bomb.”
IYKYK
“An atom bomb.”
IYKYK
December 24, 2025 at 4:25 AM
“What’s that?”
“An atom bomb.”
IYKYK
“An atom bomb.”
IYKYK
Reposted by Derek Balling
All of these bootlegged copies of the 60 Minutes segment flooding my feed (saying, ‘Watch it quick! Before it disappears!’) makes me feel like I’m in the Soviet Union and just got some black market foreign newspaper I need to hide under a floorboard in my house.
This is where America is now
This is where America is now
December 23, 2025 at 1:58 AM
All of these bootlegged copies of the 60 Minutes segment flooding my feed (saying, ‘Watch it quick! Before it disappears!’) makes me feel like I’m in the Soviet Union and just got some black market foreign newspaper I need to hide under a floorboard in my house.
This is where America is now
This is where America is now
My town is enacting a ban on gas-fuel leafblowers in favor of electric. OK, fine. Today my gutter cleaning people came by and they used their blowers to melt the frozen-ice-leaves in the gutter. That won't be possible next winter because the electric ones don't actively heat the air.
December 17, 2025 at 3:46 PM
My town is enacting a ban on gas-fuel leafblowers in favor of electric. OK, fine. Today my gutter cleaning people came by and they used their blowers to melt the frozen-ice-leaves in the gutter. That won't be possible next winter because the electric ones don't actively heat the air.
I want to start a charitable organization whose purpose is (1) obtain cases of books that are "banned" from public libraries, and then (2) sit in front of those libraries in vans giving the books away for free to whoever wants them.
Anything the powers that be DON'T want you to read, you should.
Anything the powers that be DON'T want you to read, you should.
December 16, 2025 at 12:38 PM
I want to start a charitable organization whose purpose is (1) obtain cases of books that are "banned" from public libraries, and then (2) sit in front of those libraries in vans giving the books away for free to whoever wants them.
Anything the powers that be DON'T want you to read, you should.
Anything the powers that be DON'T want you to read, you should.
I don’t know which will be more of a nutpunch - losing Rob Reiner or having to hear Herr Orange shit-talk him after he finds out he’s passed.
December 15, 2025 at 2:37 AM
I don’t know which will be more of a nutpunch - losing Rob Reiner or having to hear Herr Orange shit-talk him after he finds out he’s passed.
Watching the trailer for "Knight of the Seven Kingdoms", all I can think is "didn't Heath Ledger do this role already in 'A Knight's Tale'?" Why are we rebooting perfection.
December 8, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Watching the trailer for "Knight of the Seven Kingdoms", all I can think is "didn't Heath Ledger do this role already in 'A Knight's Tale'?" Why are we rebooting perfection.
Fuck yeah! Glad to see this finally found a home!
RoboCop statue rises in Detroit: ‘Big, beautiful, bronze piece of art’
A 15-year quest ends with a monument, drawing crowds and nostalgia as Detroit embraces its cult-film past
www.theguardian.com
December 5, 2025 at 4:50 AM
Fuck yeah! Glad to see this finally found a home!
My wife did a thang!
All new Dopamine collection available now! Feel good gemzzz 🪩🧠🌈⚡️🎁✨ shop.gumballbeadery.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:44 PM
My wife did a thang!
Reposted by Derek Balling
LOL, inside the White House today. Dude REALLY got red pilled this time!
November 21, 2025 at 10:21 PM
LOL, inside the White House today. Dude REALLY got red pilled this time!
Reposted by Derek Balling
Just the president of the United States rationalizing that a Washington Post reporter was basically asking to be murdered and cut to pieces with a bone saw because of his reporting.
As he sits next to the thug who ordered it.
As he sits next to the thug who ordered it.
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
November 18, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Just the president of the United States rationalizing that a Washington Post reporter was basically asking to be murdered and cut to pieces with a bone saw because of his reporting.
As he sits next to the thug who ordered it.
As he sits next to the thug who ordered it.
If I have the option to place bets on whether or not Clay Higgins (or one of his friends) is in the Epstein Files, I'd take that bet.
November 18, 2025 at 9:21 PM
If I have the option to place bets on whether or not Clay Higgins (or one of his friends) is in the Epstein Files, I'd take that bet.
Reposted by Derek Balling
CEO: We need to cut costs.
Accountant: We paid you $50 million last year. You are being paid $1 million for this meeting.
CEO: Who's that in the hallway?
Accountant: That's Greg. He is the only thing keeping this company together. We pay him in nickels and Grubhub gift cards.
CEO: Fire Greg.
Accountant: We paid you $50 million last year. You are being paid $1 million for this meeting.
CEO: Who's that in the hallway?
Accountant: That's Greg. He is the only thing keeping this company together. We pay him in nickels and Grubhub gift cards.
CEO: Fire Greg.
November 17, 2025 at 10:04 PM
CEO: We need to cut costs.
Accountant: We paid you $50 million last year. You are being paid $1 million for this meeting.
CEO: Who's that in the hallway?
Accountant: That's Greg. He is the only thing keeping this company together. We pay him in nickels and Grubhub gift cards.
CEO: Fire Greg.
Accountant: We paid you $50 million last year. You are being paid $1 million for this meeting.
CEO: Who's that in the hallway?
Accountant: That's Greg. He is the only thing keeping this company together. We pay him in nickels and Grubhub gift cards.
CEO: Fire Greg.
I feel like Trump and SDNY forget how Grand Juries work. Once they’re empaneled, THEY’RE in charge, really, not the prosecutor.
They can simply say “no no no, go bring us the entire file with everyone’s name in it right now, we want to investigate them too.”
Grand Juries are dope AF yo.
They can simply say “no no no, go bring us the entire file with everyone’s name in it right now, we want to investigate them too.”
Grand Juries are dope AF yo.
November 15, 2025 at 1:56 AM
I feel like Trump and SDNY forget how Grand Juries work. Once they’re empaneled, THEY’RE in charge, really, not the prosecutor.
They can simply say “no no no, go bring us the entire file with everyone’s name in it right now, we want to investigate them too.”
Grand Juries are dope AF yo.
They can simply say “no no no, go bring us the entire file with everyone’s name in it right now, we want to investigate them too.”
Grand Juries are dope AF yo.
Reposted by Derek Balling
i’ve said this before and i remain convinced it’s true, the 2028 platform that would deliver obama 08 results is “i am gonna
bring the hammer down on the corrupt self-dealing politicians and their rich friends and there are no sacred cows id give a pass”
bring the hammer down on the corrupt self-dealing politicians and their rich friends and there are no sacred cows id give a pass”
November 13, 2025 at 2:07 PM
i’ve said this before and i remain convinced it’s true, the 2028 platform that would deliver obama 08 results is “i am gonna
bring the hammer down on the corrupt self-dealing politicians and their rich friends and there are no sacred cows id give a pass”
bring the hammer down on the corrupt self-dealing politicians and their rich friends and there are no sacred cows id give a pass”
I had a manager who wanted proof that, once per year, you had applied for and interviewed at another gig.
If you found something better, he was ecstatic for you.
If you didn't, then you knew how good you had it there.
Either way, you had a more current sense of the outside world.
If you found something better, he was ecstatic for you.
If you didn't, then you knew how good you had it there.
Either way, you had a more current sense of the outside world.
Your periodic reminder that you should look at your resume once a quarter and update it with all the cool shit you did.
And as a manger: you should make sure your folks know it’s ok to go interview and practice. Sometimes the life changing job is not your current one.
it’s ok jump.
And as a manger: you should make sure your folks know it’s ok to go interview and practice. Sometimes the life changing job is not your current one.
it’s ok jump.
November 13, 2025 at 10:59 PM
I had a manager who wanted proof that, once per year, you had applied for and interviewed at another gig.
If you found something better, he was ecstatic for you.
If you didn't, then you knew how good you had it there.
Either way, you had a more current sense of the outside world.
If you found something better, he was ecstatic for you.
If you didn't, then you knew how good you had it there.
Either way, you had a more current sense of the outside world.
LinkedIn really is missing the boat on not having an option to be like "I would never work for this company, literally ever. Do not show me their jobs again, and I hope they go out of business, pushing anyone who WOULD work for them into poverty."
Or maybe just "Ignore this company."
Or maybe just "Ignore this company."
November 5, 2025 at 5:21 AM
LinkedIn really is missing the boat on not having an option to be like "I would never work for this company, literally ever. Do not show me their jobs again, and I hope they go out of business, pushing anyone who WOULD work for them into poverty."
Or maybe just "Ignore this company."
Or maybe just "Ignore this company."
Reposted by Derek Balling
It is absolutely wild to me - and yet somehow not surprising - that of all people Curtis Silwa has the most rational approach to politics-as-profession that I've seen in a long time.
I do not think he should be mayor, but this is so much healthier of an approach to take toward a democratic election than anything we are hearing from Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo is going to leave NYC the moment he loses. Sliwa seems to truly want to stay in this great city.
November 4, 2025 at 2:15 PM
It is absolutely wild to me - and yet somehow not surprising - that of all people Curtis Silwa has the most rational approach to politics-as-profession that I've seen in a long time.
Called someone today, and my iPhone said (essentially):
"DeadPerson or LivingPerson LastName (Home)".
Made me think to myself: Am I the only person who simply can't take people out of my Contacts after they pass away?
It seems like it's just.... too "brutal" to "delete" someone you cared about.
"DeadPerson or LivingPerson LastName (Home)".
Made me think to myself: Am I the only person who simply can't take people out of my Contacts after they pass away?
It seems like it's just.... too "brutal" to "delete" someone you cared about.
November 4, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Called someone today, and my iPhone said (essentially):
"DeadPerson or LivingPerson LastName (Home)".
Made me think to myself: Am I the only person who simply can't take people out of my Contacts after they pass away?
It seems like it's just.... too "brutal" to "delete" someone you cared about.
"DeadPerson or LivingPerson LastName (Home)".
Made me think to myself: Am I the only person who simply can't take people out of my Contacts after they pass away?
It seems like it's just.... too "brutal" to "delete" someone you cared about.
Reposted by Derek Balling
Anderson Cooper: Why should people vote for you if you won’t make a deal with Germany? Do you want us to wind up like Poland?
In the 1st question of his brief interview with Mamdani. Anderson Cooper reports Trump’s strongman threats to punish NYC if the Mayoral candidate is elected, as if he gets to select where funding goes according to his whims, & then asks whether voters will find it “worth the hassle” to vote for him.
November 1, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Anderson Cooper: Why should people vote for you if you won’t make a deal with Germany? Do you want us to wind up like Poland?
Reposted by Derek Balling
GOP: burning a flag disrespects the people who fought and died for that symbol
Also GOP: hahaha the White House is ours and we'll bulldoze it if we like, just be glad we left you the other half for now
Also GOP: hahaha the White House is ours and we'll bulldoze it if we like, just be glad we left you the other half for now
October 24, 2025 at 8:52 PM
GOP: burning a flag disrespects the people who fought and died for that symbol
Also GOP: hahaha the White House is ours and we'll bulldoze it if we like, just be glad we left you the other half for now
Also GOP: hahaha the White House is ours and we'll bulldoze it if we like, just be glad we left you the other half for now