Emerald Zeea
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emeraldzeea.bsky.social
Emerald Zeea
@emeraldzeea.bsky.social
290 followers 220 following 650 posts
Writer, game designer, historian, queer, etc. (she/her)
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emeraldzeea.bsky.social
Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · Nov 13
As a historian and queer lefty who normally isn't very optimistic about the American people, I've actually got a lot more positive outlook on the fascist resurgence being defeated decisively at the end of four years. Like, actual real hope. But it'd take too long to explain. So, instead...
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emeraldzeea.bsky.social
Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · Jul 1
Sorry, tried to link directly to article that linked to the bill but accidentally linked to the reddit post linking to the article that links to the bill. Just click through a lot.
emeraldzeea.bsky.social
Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · Jul 1
It got quietly removed at some point within the past 6-12 hours, so apparently the point of order wasn't needed? Awful bill, will hurt lots of folks, but doesn't single us out now.

This article has a link to the final version of the Senate bill after the vote-a-rama.

www.reddit.com/r/transgende...
From the transgender community on Reddit: The Final Anti-Trans Provision Has Been Removed From The ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’
Explore this post and more from the transgender community
www.reddit.com
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emeraldzeea.bsky.social
Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · Jun 30
Also, Ron Wyden or someone else will bring up a point of order here. Things are definitely being done. It just doesn't get reported on because the news would rather post half-assed vague summaries of today's vote than bother looking into any procedural specifics.
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · Jun 30
They aren't. They're trying a 60 vote majority to get around the Byrd Rule, which isn't part of the Constitution, and it's legal to do that but also very unlikely to work. GOP are just trying to force a vote because they wrongly think later transphobic pandering will save their seats.
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mmasnick.bsky.social
Mike Masnick @mmasnick.bsky.social · Jun 8
Cannot stress enough that this is a pitiful action by a weak, scared, pathetic group of insecure, wannabe authoritarians, and they should be mocked until the end of time for wanting to bring in the military over some people protesting them at a Home Depot.
qjurecic.bsky.social Quinta Jurecic @qjurecic.bsky.social · Jun 8
they're doing this because the Insurrection Act sounds cool and edgy but they can't actually justify using the Insurrection Act. it's a silly action by an insecure administration desperately to seem manly and powerful. it should be criticized relentlessly, but it should also be laughed at.
evanbernick.bsky.social Evan Bernick, a finite mode with a smol hooman and a lorg floof @evanbernick.bsky.social · Jun 8
Which makes me think that this is an effort to claim the insurrection act’s power without invoking the insurrection act’s authority. None of this is necessary, at all, and the governor should say so.
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emeraldzeea.bsky.social
Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 24
I remember. They've had a lot of changeover in leadership since that time, and they might not screw it up this time, but I'm not going to make any bets. Video game companies don't usually understand or properly value tabletop properties (or their consumers).
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 24
I think we all figured out he was a racist back in 2010 when he became one of the leading birther conspiracy theorists.
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
You know, even without the Street Fighter license, it'd be pretty easy to make a new tournament fighting game genre setting with very similar rules. A ton of the SFRPG content was original White Wolf stuff, anyway. (Like basically all of Player's Guide and its elementals, cyborgs, mutants, styles)
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
The Corporate Speak in the announcement definitely doesn't help with that sort of thing.
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
Promethean is cool, though!
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
A more competent administration would have taken it slowly, built power, and given conservative courts as much justification as possible to approve their schemes. Then we'd be in more danger. But fascism isn't associated with competence.
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emeraldzeea.bsky.social
Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
It's basically a race to save as many people as possible and limit the damage he can do before his power collapses completely. And it's depressing and stressful and infuriating. A moral injury.

But the court rulings absolutely do matter, is my point.
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
Yeah. I think they will hurt a LOT of people before this is said and done. But that's different from the Bluesky doomer thing where Trump just acts like a dictator and rules by decree and the courts are powerless. The courts are weakened, but still quite powerful.
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
So he's been complying with most of the orders and whining about it, and just testing the limits of his powers by trying to use obscure rules and claims of state department authority to get around courts. It's petty and stupid and harmful, but it doesn't mean he can just ignore any court order.
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
The more court orders go against him, the less legitimate his regime. Combine that with low approval ratings and governors and others start feeling way more comfortable defying him in the confidence that he simply won't be able to get the military to do anything about it.
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
He's had to comply with the overwhelming majority of court orders. He can get away with violating the human rights of immigrants because this nation is sociopathic at its heart, but he has a limited amount of credit to spend and he's already running lower on legal resources and SCOTUS patience.
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
I am extremely upset about their violation of these people's human rights and sometimes wake up from sleep stressing over it (sounds melodramatic but I have PTSD and stuff that makes me sympathetic.)

But Trump would be doing this to hundreds of times as many people if he could just ignore the court
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
They're trying to argue that technically, they didn't violate the order. They definitely are, but federal court normally moves at a glacial pace and stalling for a few months while nitpicking isn't unprecedented.

The plane from Qatar is unethical, but not a violation of any court order.
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
You'd be great at it, too, definitely. It'd be different from Rose, but also great stuff.
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
Rose is basically the platonic ideal of the WoD tabletop developer, yeah. Give her complete authority and automatic approval for projects and she'd deliver the best WoD ever made.
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
It seems like they mostly pushed away from that mistake, so maybe they've learned better by now. It would definitely be great to have a win in the "gaming corporation" department.
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
I've heard Wizards of the Coast's recent scandals (OGL, failed VTT) blamed on video game execs not understanding the hobby or the industry.

Paradox tried to get someone they thought understood, but they got a loud-talking self-promoting creep because they didn't know enough to spot his flaws.
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
Optimistic me is hoping for a new era based on the best parts of the Onyx Path days without the problems. Pessimistic me is dreading an all-star team of broken stair edgelords. I imagine the result will be in the middle somewhere.
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
They should probably also prioritize getting someone who won't alienate the property's core consumer base of geeky queer-friendly anti-racist goths who care about consent.

Swedish Dracula's edgelordery has permanently stained Vampire 5e and I think they need to start a new edition.
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Emerald Zeea @emeraldzeea.bsky.social · May 23
He's burned up massive amounts of legal resources, he's losing support from his own base and politicians, he's alienated his own Supreme Court, and his admin couldn't even find anyone willing to risk perjury charges by calling Abrego Garcia an MS13 leader in court. That's not an invincible strongman