Nicholas Ballou
@nicholasballou.bsky.social
Sci-fi writer. Creator of Nexus of Worlds. On Substack, where The Escape posts every Friday.
… okay what took this picture.
January 14, 2026 at 12:04 AM
… okay what took this picture.
I don’t know what to tell you, my friend. My 2019 Kia and my mother’s 2024 Nissan can both be operated 100% without the screen on at all. So those cars are available. But there will be a camera installed.
January 13, 2026 at 11:37 PM
I don’t know what to tell you, my friend. My 2019 Kia and my mother’s 2024 Nissan can both be operated 100% without the screen on at all. So those cars are available. But there will be a camera installed.
I'm pretty sure you can get the screen replaced aftermarket with a CD player or something. But for those of us who can't decipher a moving image looks like a reflection in a spoon, the screens work fine.
January 13, 2026 at 10:18 PM
I'm pretty sure you can get the screen replaced aftermarket with a CD player or something. But for those of us who can't decipher a moving image looks like a reflection in a spoon, the screens work fine.
If you have 20/10 vision, maybe.
January 13, 2026 at 9:06 PM
If you have 20/10 vision, maybe.
I dunno I guess if they had to do it they wanted it to be useable.
January 13, 2026 at 8:28 PM
I dunno I guess if they had to do it they wanted it to be useable.
And who has the power to do so? Because it's not 99.99% of Bluesky users...
January 13, 2026 at 7:09 PM
And who has the power to do so? Because it's not 99.99% of Bluesky users...
Is it different in New York? Because I can select the tip at check out and increase the tip after checkout. On doordash.
January 13, 2026 at 4:39 PM
Is it different in New York? Because I can select the tip at check out and increase the tip after checkout. On doordash.
Are you in the US? All vehicles post 2018 are required to have a backup camera.
January 13, 2026 at 4:13 PM
Are you in the US? All vehicles post 2018 are required to have a backup camera.
I hope my post did not imply, in any way, that ICE did the right thing here. Simply that the language of the law is gross and actually stated correctly on the citation.
Absolutely no reason a citizen should be cited with this. And all the language in the entire government should be updated.
Absolutely no reason a citizen should be cited with this. And all the language in the entire government should be updated.
January 13, 2026 at 3:16 PM
I hope my post did not imply, in any way, that ICE did the right thing here. Simply that the language of the law is gross and actually stated correctly on the citation.
Absolutely no reason a citizen should be cited with this. And all the language in the entire government should be updated.
Absolutely no reason a citizen should be cited with this. And all the language in the entire government should be updated.
It's the actual language used in 8 USC 1304 (e):
"Every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him pursuant to subsection"
Which is just gross.
"Every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him pursuant to subsection"
Which is just gross.
January 13, 2026 at 3:00 PM
It's the actual language used in 8 USC 1304 (e):
"Every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him pursuant to subsection"
Which is just gross.
"Every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him pursuant to subsection"
Which is just gross.
TIL that UK phone plans are wild.
January 13, 2026 at 1:01 PM
TIL that UK phone plans are wild.
The point is these agents being told that fighting words are not protected speech. So, by precedent, they can attack people who call them fascists 🤷♂️
January 13, 2026 at 12:58 PM
The point is these agents being told that fighting words are not protected speech. So, by precedent, they can attack people who call them fascists 🤷♂️
Do not diss the very valid Chonk Chart
January 13, 2026 at 11:35 AM
Do not diss the very valid Chonk Chart
Leaders need to start ordering cops to do this. It needs to come from the top. Cops make horrible excuses for killing Black people, but what would their excuse be for failing to arrest the kidnappers they’ve been ordered to arrest? “I feared for me life” would be wild.
January 13, 2026 at 10:41 AM
Leaders need to start ordering cops to do this. It needs to come from the top. Cops make horrible excuses for killing Black people, but what would their excuse be for failing to arrest the kidnappers they’ve been ordered to arrest? “I feared for me life” would be wild.
My 11th great-grandfather came to this land in 1635 and I would bet money that even he would give this a giant “Fuck you.”
January 13, 2026 at 10:15 AM
My 11th great-grandfather came to this land in 1635 and I would bet money that even he would give this a giant “Fuck you.”
If they had no legal reason to bust the window, comp might cover the damage, if you have it on your policy. But your insurance would then likely go after the agency that caused the damage- subrogation.
January 13, 2026 at 9:25 AM
If they had no legal reason to bust the window, comp might cover the damage, if you have it on your policy. But your insurance would then likely go after the agency that caused the damage- subrogation.
If it alleviates anything, I’ve worked for Walmart and Target in the past, and Walmart treated me better.
January 13, 2026 at 9:12 AM
If it alleviates anything, I’ve worked for Walmart and Target in the past, and Walmart treated me better.
Threats of immediate violence, but not much else qualifies. I mean, wildly, the most famous case was where a man called a cop a fascist, and that was not considered free speech Because it was intentionally insulting.
January 13, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Threats of immediate violence, but not much else qualifies. I mean, wildly, the most famous case was where a man called a cop a fascist, and that was not considered free speech Because it was intentionally insulting.
There are several things that would immediately provoke me to violence.
I knew someone who made the mistake of getting drunk and arguing with someone, then she said something like, “I’m going to kill your family.” The woman who immediately beat the shit out of her was not charged.
I knew someone who made the mistake of getting drunk and arguing with someone, then she said something like, “I’m going to kill your family.” The woman who immediately beat the shit out of her was not charged.
January 13, 2026 at 8:54 AM
There are several things that would immediately provoke me to violence.
I knew someone who made the mistake of getting drunk and arguing with someone, then she said something like, “I’m going to kill your family.” The woman who immediately beat the shit out of her was not charged.
I knew someone who made the mistake of getting drunk and arguing with someone, then she said something like, “I’m going to kill your family.” The woman who immediately beat the shit out of her was not charged.
Basically it's something that would provoke any reasonable person to use violence in the moment. Valid immediate threats are often considered fighting words, but not slurs or insults.
January 13, 2026 at 1:49 AM
Basically it's something that would provoke any reasonable person to use violence in the moment. Valid immediate threats are often considered fighting words, but not slurs or insults.
Wildly, the N word has been repeatedly deemed Not Fighting Words by courts because it is simply considered an insult.
January 13, 2026 at 1:47 AM
Wildly, the N word has been repeatedly deemed Not Fighting Words by courts because it is simply considered an insult.
I've been pretty clear here that governors need to start actively protecting those who reside in their states. We've got all sorts of Americans putting their bodies on the line, but somehow governors can't muster... the militia they already have?
I am in Florida, unfortunately
I am in Florida, unfortunately
January 13, 2026 at 1:00 AM
I've been pretty clear here that governors need to start actively protecting those who reside in their states. We've got all sorts of Americans putting their bodies on the line, but somehow governors can't muster... the militia they already have?
I am in Florida, unfortunately
I am in Florida, unfortunately
There are people being murdered in the streets by the federal government, and you think a lawsuit heard by the federal Supreme Court will stop the federal government from murdering people they want murdered?
January 13, 2026 at 12:39 AM
There are people being murdered in the streets by the federal government, and you think a lawsuit heard by the federal Supreme Court will stop the federal government from murdering people they want murdered?