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."
Reposted by Derek Balling
Orphaned
Cartoon by Nick Anderson
Cartoon by Nick Anderson
January 10, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Orphaned
Cartoon by Nick Anderson
Cartoon by Nick Anderson
Reposted by Derek Balling
Mayor Jacob Frey: “To ICE, get the fuck out of Minneapolis.”
January 7, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Mayor Jacob Frey: “To ICE, get the fuck out of Minneapolis.”
I mean, it IS a pretty core principle for the last 400 years of global society. It’s literally the one thing almost nobody has disagreed with (even if they broke the rules themselves).
January 3, 2026 at 11:02 PM
I mean, it IS a pretty core principle for the last 400 years of global society. It’s literally the one thing almost nobody has disagreed with (even if they broke the rules themselves).
Reposted by Derek Balling
An irony long lamented by the singer:
Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman says POTUS doesn't realize he's "the person who I’m screaming about in the song on all three counts"
consequence.net/2025/08/john...
Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman says POTUS doesn't realize he's "the person who I’m screaming about in the song on all three counts"
consequence.net/2025/08/john...
John Fogerty Says It's "Hilarious" Trump Still Misses the Irony of Playing "Fortunate Son" at His Rallies
Creedence Clearwater Revival singer John Fogerty says Donald Trump's continued misunderstanding of the lyrics to "Fortunate Son" is "hilarious."
consequence.net
January 3, 2026 at 8:51 PM
An irony long lamented by the singer:
Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman says POTUS doesn't realize he's "the person who I’m screaming about in the song on all three counts"
consequence.net/2025/08/john...
Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman says POTUS doesn't realize he's "the person who I’m screaming about in the song on all three counts"
consequence.net/2025/08/john...
Someone needs to explain to JD Vance that US laws only have effect on US persons, and that Westphalian sovereignty is a pretty key principle going back several centuries.
January 3, 2026 at 8:48 PM
Someone needs to explain to JD Vance that US laws only have effect on US persons, and that Westphalian sovereignty is a pretty key principle going back several centuries.
Colombia requested an emergency session of the UN Security Council, which will inevitably show how useless the UN structural design is, when the US vetoes any action against the US for the US's international criming.
January 3, 2026 at 8:46 PM
Colombia requested an emergency session of the UN Security Council, which will inevitably show how useless the UN structural design is, when the US vetoes any action against the US for the US's international criming.
Three years from now?
January 3, 2026 at 7:57 PM
Three years from now?
If Denmark doesn't look at Venezuela as a warning sign and immediately fully deploy defense forces on Greenland, then they are naive fools.
January 3, 2026 at 7:56 PM
If Denmark doesn't look at Venezuela as a warning sign and immediately fully deploy defense forces on Greenland, then they are naive fools.
New Years Eve seems to be the one day of the year that CNN brand executives get locked away and told to STFU.
January 1, 2026 at 5:10 AM
New Years Eve seems to be the one day of the year that CNN brand executives get locked away and told to STFU.
I've never gotten a notice before about being blocked. I guess I'm just not offending enough snowflakes. :-)
December 31, 2025 at 12:04 AM
I've never gotten a notice before about being blocked. I guess I'm just not offending enough snowflakes. :-)
Well, sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit. :-(
RIP.
RIP.
Isiah Whitlock Jr., ‘The Wire’ and ‘Veep’ Actor, Dies at 71
He appeared in several films for Spike Lee, including '25th Hour,' 'BlacKkKlansman' and 'Da 5 Bloods.'
www.hollywoodreporter.com
December 30, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Well, sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit. :-(
RIP.
RIP.
@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.
Just fire up AppleTV. Watch it as many times as you like.
December 24, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Just fire up AppleTV. Watch it as many times as you like.
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
I _NEEDED_ that Canada bit to be done with the Game of Thrones meme image. In a visceral way.
So….
So….
December 23, 2025 at 11:05 PM
I _NEEDED_ that Canada bit to be done with the Game of Thrones meme image. In a visceral way.
So….
So….
I've never understood why journalists can't simply "release the story themselves". Certainly they can't use any CBS-owned video (because that's copyrighted) but it seems like they could *write and publish* an independent story based on their own inteviews and knowledge gained.
December 22, 2025 at 8:44 PM
I've never understood why journalists can't simply "release the story themselves". Certainly they can't use any CBS-owned video (because that's copyrighted) but it seems like they could *write and publish* an independent story based on their own inteviews and knowledge gained.
I've lost track of how many people I've sent to this page in the last couple weeks. So many people truly don't understand it. And the fact that there are actual legislators who just want to repeal it entirely, rather than attempt to fix its (as you say) actual problems, is terrifying.
Hello! You've Been Referred Here Because You're Wrong About Section 230 Of The Communications Decency Act
Hello! Someone has referred you to this post because you’ve said something quite wrong about Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. I apologize if it feels a bit cold and rude to resp…
www.techdirt.com
December 19, 2025 at 10:59 PM
I've lost track of how many people I've sent to this page in the last couple weeks. So many people truly don't understand it. And the fact that there are actual legislators who just want to repeal it entirely, rather than attempt to fix its (as you say) actual problems, is terrifying.
I honestly don't know if it's streaming anywhere. I just went looking for it myself and couldn't find it in any of the places I'd've expected it.
IFC's been through so many reorgs/acquisitions in the last 20 years that I'm not even sure they know they own it to put it somewhere visible for the 40th
IFC's been through so many reorgs/acquisitions in the last 20 years that I'm not even sure they know they own it to put it somewhere visible for the 40th
December 19, 2025 at 4:43 PM
I honestly don't know if it's streaming anywhere. I just went looking for it myself and couldn't find it in any of the places I'd've expected it.
IFC's been through so many reorgs/acquisitions in the last 20 years that I'm not even sure they know they own it to put it somewhere visible for the 40th
IFC's been through so many reorgs/acquisitions in the last 20 years that I'm not even sure they know they own it to put it somewhere visible for the 40th
Selfish plug for my wife’s work… she did a special for IFC for the 20th anniversary that interviews rock stars about Tap, and those interviews are amazing.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0433...
www.imdb.com/title/tt0433...
Spinal Tap Goes to 20 (TV Movie 2004) ⭐ 6.4 | Documentary, Comedy, Music
25m
www.imdb.com
December 19, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Selfish plug for my wife’s work… she did a special for IFC for the 20th anniversary that interviews rock stars about Tap, and those interviews are amazing.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0433...
www.imdb.com/title/tt0433...
"Largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America".
LOL.
Her Majesty's Royal Navy During The Falklands War has entered the chat.
LOL.
Her Majesty's Royal Navy During The Falklands War has entered the chat.
December 17, 2025 at 9:47 PM
"Largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America".
LOL.
Her Majesty's Royal Navy During The Falklands War has entered the chat.
LOL.
Her Majesty's Royal Navy During The Falklands War has entered the chat.