Nougat

Lots of protests scheduled for tomorrow, all across the country, in cities and towns of all sizes. Odds are that it's going to get stupid somewhere. I figured it would be a good idea to throw out some quick reminders.

Don't talk to police. Shut the fuck up.

With some exceptions:

• Always first: "Am I being detained or am I free to go?" This isn't some sovcit bullshit, this one is for real. Free to go? Ignore them and go about your business. Detained? Do the next ones.
• You must clearly and explicitly express your right to remain silent. "I am exercising my right to remain silent. I want to speak with a lawyer."
• "I do not consent to any search." If they are allowed to search you or your vehicle/bag/property, they don't need your permission. The only reason they would ask is if they don't have grounds to search you.
• Identify yourself if asked to. Full name and birthdate, that's it. Failing to do that will only make it harder on you.

Come prepared

This has a few different meanings.

• Bring water, first aid, and a trash bag. Large groups of people get thirsty, hurt, and can make a mess.
• Depending on your state, it may be illegal to bring weapons to a protest. Find out for yourself. I'm not saying you should bring weapons; that's for you to decide.
• It might be a good idea to be familiar with the area you're going to protest in, and bring a paper map, so you can have an exit (or other) plan. Don't get funnelled into a dead end, for example. If that means reconnoitering that area today, go do that.
• Be electronically safe. Make sure your phone/watch/whatever only unlocks with a password, not biometrics. Use airplane mode.

Avoid violence

• Come prepared for violence, but don't start it. As my dad always said, don't start fights, finish them.
• "Being peaceful" is not mutually exclusive with "being really fucking angry and loud". Be scary; they only understand fear.
• Shit is probably going to pop off somewhere. You will need to make a decision in the moment whether to get in the shit or make your escape. Neither choice is shameful. If it's your time to "live to fight another day," run.

There's certainly a whole lot more that could be said, but this is long enough. Good luck.

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US servicemembers: You have the right and duty to disobey illegal orders. But what exactly does that mean? How does that work?

Thanks to @TropicalDingDong

ICE, alongside the U.S. Secret Service, conducted a large-scale operation in an upscale Irvine, California neighborhood Wednesday to apprehend an individual accused of distributing fliers containing the personal information of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, authorities confirmed.

One of us.

Nearly half of the states have policies prohibiting public carry on some portion of capitol grounds and/or at political protests.

I'm not telling you what to do or not do. Just providing information on the potential consequences of certain behaviors in certain states.

Hear me out.

SomethingAwful forums are notoriously "human," because they charge $10 for a user account. They don't have problems with spam/scam/shenanigans that exist on platforms where accounts are free.

Fediverse instances are not currently monetizable - and they should stay that way. But there are still costs to operating one, especially if it's very popular.

Instance admins charging a minimal fee to register a user account would address both of those concerns, especially the former, especially in light of how the Nicole thing has taken a horribly dark turn.