Mike Baltar
@mikebaltar.bsky.social
I'm a writer and environmentally minded fellow who doesn't like social media but feel like I have to raise my voice. Bernie Sanders has it right.
Expect a book eventually, but politics, poetry, baking, and video games in the meantime
Expect a book eventually, but politics, poetry, baking, and video games in the meantime
Pretty sunset tonight in Sacramento
October 31, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Pretty sunset tonight in Sacramento
Current logic: if I fill up on doughnuts at the office now, then I won't overeat on potato chips at my writers meetup later
October 20, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Current logic: if I fill up on doughnuts at the office now, then I won't overeat on potato chips at my writers meetup later
Reposted by Mike Baltar
7 million protesters, 0 arrests.
Man we suck at terrorism.
Man we suck at terrorism.
October 19, 2025 at 2:50 AM
7 million protesters, 0 arrests.
Man we suck at terrorism.
Man we suck at terrorism.
Tactical frivolity, folks. Channel and control your anger. I understand wanting to fight, but remember - were you more or less supportive of MAGA after they resorted to violence on J6?
They want an incident so that we look bad. Keep it peaceful out there.
They want an incident so that we look bad. Keep it peaceful out there.
October 18, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Tactical frivolity, folks. Channel and control your anger. I understand wanting to fight, but remember - were you more or less supportive of MAGA after they resorted to violence on J6?
They want an incident so that we look bad. Keep it peaceful out there.
They want an incident so that we look bad. Keep it peaceful out there.
The modern world is not kind to the empathetic. In ancient times, they could address the wrongs before them with their own hands and rest, knowing they had done what they could.
Now, with global awareness and limited reach or intractable problems, empathy begets a sisyphean trial.
Now, with global awareness and limited reach or intractable problems, empathy begets a sisyphean trial.
July 27, 2025 at 5:22 PM
The modern world is not kind to the empathetic. In ancient times, they could address the wrongs before them with their own hands and rest, knowing they had done what they could.
Now, with global awareness and limited reach or intractable problems, empathy begets a sisyphean trial.
Now, with global awareness and limited reach or intractable problems, empathy begets a sisyphean trial.
Reposted by Mike Baltar
Money is not speech.
Corporations are not people.
True Patriots respect the constitution.
Corporations are not people.
True Patriots respect the constitution.
June 13, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Money is not speech.
Corporations are not people.
True Patriots respect the constitution.
Corporations are not people.
True Patriots respect the constitution.
Reposted by Mike Baltar
So there are zero deaths attributed to artificial dyes, but around 47,000 annually attributed to gun violence. But we are going to monitor, study, and regulate food dyes?!?!!!
April 23, 2025 at 11:08 PM
So there are zero deaths attributed to artificial dyes, but around 47,000 annually attributed to gun violence. But we are going to monitor, study, and regulate food dyes?!?!!!
DOGEy Math
The irony of Musk claiming to root out inefficiency
that the root of the problem
is lazy workers
but divide the amount of effort
by the wealth accrued
and even the least motivated bureaucrat
could never hope to achieve a ratio
so minuscule
as a CEO
billionaire
The irony of Musk claiming to root out inefficiency
that the root of the problem
is lazy workers
but divide the amount of effort
by the wealth accrued
and even the least motivated bureaucrat
could never hope to achieve a ratio
so minuscule
as a CEO
billionaire
April 23, 2025 at 4:14 PM
DOGEy Math
The irony of Musk claiming to root out inefficiency
that the root of the problem
is lazy workers
but divide the amount of effort
by the wealth accrued
and even the least motivated bureaucrat
could never hope to achieve a ratio
so minuscule
as a CEO
billionaire
The irony of Musk claiming to root out inefficiency
that the root of the problem
is lazy workers
but divide the amount of effort
by the wealth accrued
and even the least motivated bureaucrat
could never hope to achieve a ratio
so minuscule
as a CEO
billionaire
Due process is not optional.
April 18, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Due process is not optional.
Reposted by Mike Baltar
Reposted by Mike Baltar
I've been working on this blog post for over a month, trying to find the exact words for what I'm trying to say. It's pretty key to how I'm living my creative life right now, and I really hope it resonates with people.
laurablegen.com/finding-my-a...
laurablegen.com/finding-my-a...
Finding my Artistic Footing in These Uncertain Times - Laura Blegen
The reasons it’s especially hard to be an artist right now are the same reasons why we all have to keep trying.
laurablegen.com
April 16, 2025 at 3:44 PM
I've been working on this blog post for over a month, trying to find the exact words for what I'm trying to say. It's pretty key to how I'm living my creative life right now, and I really hope it resonates with people.
laurablegen.com/finding-my-a...
laurablegen.com/finding-my-a...
Irony died a long time ago, but it's dead now, too.
April 13, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Irony died a long time ago, but it's dead now, too.
Reposted by Mike Baltar
Ok sorry but getting on my soapbox to say that this isn’t a u-turn or a 180 or even a pause on tariffs.
The MASSIVE tariffs are gone but BIG tariffs are still in place. And more so than before last week.
Frame it right.
The MASSIVE tariffs are gone but BIG tariffs are still in place. And more so than before last week.
Frame it right.
April 10, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Ok sorry but getting on my soapbox to say that this isn’t a u-turn or a 180 or even a pause on tariffs.
The MASSIVE tariffs are gone but BIG tariffs are still in place. And more so than before last week.
Frame it right.
The MASSIVE tariffs are gone but BIG tariffs are still in place. And more so than before last week.
Frame it right.
I've heard this elsewhere, and it stands to reason, given copper's industrial utility. This shows that savvy buyers are no longer seeing demand.
Tarrifs were a bale of hay on a sagging camel. If they're taken off, the market might recover in the short term, but the economic damage has been done.
Tarrifs were a bale of hay on a sagging camel. If they're taken off, the market might recover in the short term, but the economic damage has been done.
Two weeks ago, the price of U.S. copper surged to a new record high as buyers stocked up, only to collapse after last week’s tariff blitz. Yes, other commodity markets took a similar hit, but copper markets have a special reputation for helping us predict the macroeconomic future.
What do falling copper prices mean for the global economy? - Marketplace
You need copper to make just about anything in this economy. Usually, high demand for the metal correlates with strong economic growth.
mktplc.org
April 8, 2025 at 6:37 PM
I've heard this elsewhere, and it stands to reason, given copper's industrial utility. This shows that savvy buyers are no longer seeing demand.
Tarrifs were a bale of hay on a sagging camel. If they're taken off, the market might recover in the short term, but the economic damage has been done.
Tarrifs were a bale of hay on a sagging camel. If they're taken off, the market might recover in the short term, but the economic damage has been done.
So we're supposed to believe that military parade on June 14 is for the 250th anniversary of the Army, and not Trump's birthday? Strange. There wasn't a parade for the 200th anniversary.
April 8, 2025 at 3:17 AM
So we're supposed to believe that military parade on June 14 is for the 250th anniversary of the Army, and not Trump's birthday? Strange. There wasn't a parade for the 200th anniversary.
A video on the #handsoff protests suggested wearing patriotic clothes to counter the right's co-opting of patriotic symbols. But they've been doing performative patriotism so long I'm wary of such stores supporting MAGA. Anyone know stores carrying these goods where proceeds go to worthy causes?
April 7, 2025 at 3:21 AM
A video on the #handsoff protests suggested wearing patriotic clothes to counter the right's co-opting of patriotic symbols. But they've been doing performative patriotism so long I'm wary of such stores supporting MAGA. Anyone know stores carrying these goods where proceeds go to worthy causes?
This just popped up in my YouTube feed. I think I have an idea why it might be trending.
Chesterton Fence: Don’t Destroy What You Don’t Understand!
YouTube video by Sprouts
www.youtube.com
March 18, 2025 at 10:15 PM
This just popped up in my YouTube feed. I think I have an idea why it might be trending.
I can't say it's a perfect analogy, but I can understand the sentiment.
March 10, 2025 at 6:20 PM
I can't say it's a perfect analogy, but I can understand the sentiment.
The day is bright and the birds singing
and though it can be hard to enjoy the lazy river of a Sunday
when you can see the rapids ahead
it's still worth trying
and though it can be hard to enjoy the lazy river of a Sunday
when you can see the rapids ahead
it's still worth trying
March 9, 2025 at 9:53 PM
The day is bright and the birds singing
and though it can be hard to enjoy the lazy river of a Sunday
when you can see the rapids ahead
it's still worth trying
and though it can be hard to enjoy the lazy river of a Sunday
when you can see the rapids ahead
it's still worth trying
Probably not a great idea, but hey, I started a substack. open.substack.com/pub/mikebalt...
Hopefully future posts will be on more cheerful topics, even as we're not in the most cheerful of times. But I had more than 300 characters worth of thoughts to get off my chest.
Hopefully future posts will be on more cheerful topics, even as we're not in the most cheerful of times. But I had more than 300 characters worth of thoughts to get off my chest.
Not how I'd like to start a Substack
or anything, really
open.substack.com
March 9, 2025 at 5:19 AM
Probably not a great idea, but hey, I started a substack. open.substack.com/pub/mikebalt...
Hopefully future posts will be on more cheerful topics, even as we're not in the most cheerful of times. But I had more than 300 characters worth of thoughts to get off my chest.
Hopefully future posts will be on more cheerful topics, even as we're not in the most cheerful of times. But I had more than 300 characters worth of thoughts to get off my chest.
Was looking at my tea's brewing instructions after brewing it too strong a few times recently, and connecting the dots on seeing the amount to add as one tsp made for a somewhat embarrassing epiphany.
March 4, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Was looking at my tea's brewing instructions after brewing it too strong a few times recently, and connecting the dots on seeing the amount to add as one tsp made for a somewhat embarrassing epiphany.
Reposted by Mike Baltar
Obviously this should be investigated by the governm— … oh wait
March 2, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Obviously this should be investigated by the governm— … oh wait
I wasn't going to buy anything today anyhow, so I'll just stay the course.
February 28, 2025 at 7:27 PM
I wasn't going to buy anything today anyhow, so I'll just stay the course.