@valaarien.bsky.social
Voracious reader. Lover of puzzles. Still working my way through my first bg3 play through.
Reposted
Okay, I will preface this with the GIGANTIC disclaimer that I promise I know how this looks, and I *swear* this is not personally motivated: If you have an old #LiveJournal account, and it has things you still care about in it, download it or import it to Dreamwidth SOON. Details:
January 1, 2026 at 11:26 AM
Okay, I will preface this with the GIGANTIC disclaimer that I promise I know how this looks, and I *swear* this is not personally motivated: If you have an old #LiveJournal account, and it has things you still care about in it, download it or import it to Dreamwidth SOON. Details:
Reposted
If you see National Guard service members out in our communities, they're here to keep Washingtonians safe. I deeply appreciate the work they're doing.
December 13, 2025 at 12:52 AM
If you see National Guard service members out in our communities, they're here to keep Washingtonians safe. I deeply appreciate the work they're doing.
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One of the side effects of Trump's deployments that doesn't get talked about a lot--it's decreasing trust in the Guard nationwide, and means when the Guard is called in to help people will need additional assurances that it's not a trap.
If you see National Guard service members out in our communities, they're here to keep Washingtonians safe. I deeply appreciate the work they're doing.
December 13, 2025 at 1:01 AM
One of the side effects of Trump's deployments that doesn't get talked about a lot--it's decreasing trust in the Guard nationwide, and means when the Guard is called in to help people will need additional assurances that it's not a trap.
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Oh, God, this is one of those "where do I even start" things, because Roblox is, like, *fractally* fucked. They are terrible at content moderation. A lot of the games are rated incorrectly, so kids can encounter graphic content (sex or violence) out of nowhere --
November 23, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Oh, God, this is one of those "where do I even start" things, because Roblox is, like, *fractally* fucked. They are terrible at content moderation. A lot of the games are rated incorrectly, so kids can encounter graphic content (sex or violence) out of nowhere --
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I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
November 23, 2025 at 7:13 PM
I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
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this morning, ICE went into a Spanish language immersion daycare and took a teacher from the building in front of screaming and crying kids and parents at dropoff and the daycare had to shut down for the day (near Lane Tech, where they were yesterday). Really hoping today's "theme" is not "daycare."
November 5, 2025 at 2:22 PM
this morning, ICE went into a Spanish language immersion daycare and took a teacher from the building in front of screaming and crying kids and parents at dropoff and the daycare had to shut down for the day (near Lane Tech, where they were yesterday). Really hoping today's "theme" is not "daycare."
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My partner saw a giant black plume drifting over our neighborhood here in Louisville. Five minutes later, a shelter-in-place warning went off on our phones.
A UPS cargo plane crashed. At least 3 people are dead, if not more. The air smells horrible, and big pieces of ash are falling in my yard.
A UPS cargo plane crashed. At least 3 people are dead, if not more. The air smells horrible, and big pieces of ash are falling in my yard.
November 4, 2025 at 11:05 PM
My partner saw a giant black plume drifting over our neighborhood here in Louisville. Five minutes later, a shelter-in-place warning went off on our phones.
A UPS cargo plane crashed. At least 3 people are dead, if not more. The air smells horrible, and big pieces of ash are falling in my yard.
A UPS cargo plane crashed. At least 3 people are dead, if not more. The air smells horrible, and big pieces of ash are falling in my yard.
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A lot of Christians- not all, but too many- have the idea that the only person whose opinion matters is their god, and they don't need to avoid harming people as long as they can keep apologizing to their god. That their god WILL forgive literally anything as long as they keep begging for it.
October 21, 2025 at 7:27 PM
A lot of Christians- not all, but too many- have the idea that the only person whose opinion matters is their god, and they don't need to avoid harming people as long as they can keep apologizing to their god. That their god WILL forgive literally anything as long as they keep begging for it.
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I think a lot of this comes from the specific Christian mindset that many of them have: "I'm not perfect but nobody's perfect and I follow the right god, so I'll be forgiven no matter what." Sure, nobody's perfect, but that doesn't mean "cling to your imperfections like they're all lovable quirks."
White guys are like "expecting white guys to hold each other accountable for finding a way to get rid of the Nazi iconography they intentionally got permanently inked into their bodies is an impossible standard."
October 21, 2025 at 7:25 PM
I think a lot of this comes from the specific Christian mindset that many of them have: "I'm not perfect but nobody's perfect and I follow the right god, so I'll be forgiven no matter what." Sure, nobody's perfect, but that doesn't mean "cling to your imperfections like they're all lovable quirks."
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that's not how this is *supposed* to work, of course, but it's very convenient to skip the step of trying to make things right with the person you harmed and ceasing to cause additional harm.
These "I'm forgiven for anything" types are also very prone to hating it when their victims DON'T forgive them- or when someone else's victims don't forgive. They act like BECAUSE their god forgives them, anyone who DOESN'T forgive is committing blasphemy by disagreeing with their god.
October 21, 2025 at 7:35 PM
that's not how this is *supposed* to work, of course, but it's very convenient to skip the step of trying to make things right with the person you harmed and ceasing to cause additional harm.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson asks if we are ready to crush authoritarianism
He is calling for a general strike and the crowd is going crazy
"Are you ready to take it to the courts and to the streets?"
"We will defend our democracy...we will tear down tyranny!"
He is calling for a general strike and the crowd is going crazy
"Are you ready to take it to the courts and to the streets?"
"We will defend our democracy...we will tear down tyranny!"
October 18, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson asks if we are ready to crush authoritarianism
He is calling for a general strike and the crowd is going crazy
"Are you ready to take it to the courts and to the streets?"
"We will defend our democracy...we will tear down tyranny!"
He is calling for a general strike and the crowd is going crazy
"Are you ready to take it to the courts and to the streets?"
"We will defend our democracy...we will tear down tyranny!"
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HOLY FUCKING SHIT
GUYS
GUYS THIS IS IS SEISMIC
GUYS I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU
OPUS DEI IS THE SCIENTOLOGY OF CATHOLICISM THEY ARE THE ONLY THING "THE DA VINCI CODE" GOT RIGHT THEY ARE AWFUL AND THEY ARE EVIL AND THEY HAVE ENORMOUS POWER AND THEY ARE INTEGRAL TO TRADFASH CATHOLICISM
GUYS
GUYS THIS IS IS SEISMIC
GUYS I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU
OPUS DEI IS THE SCIENTOLOGY OF CATHOLICISM THEY ARE THE ONLY THING "THE DA VINCI CODE" GOT RIGHT THEY ARE AWFUL AND THEY ARE EVIL AND THEY HAVE ENORMOUS POWER AND THEY ARE INTEGRAL TO TRADFASH CATHOLICISM
BREAKING: Pope Leo XIV is set to effectively disband Opus Dei in the coming weeks.
This would be the most sweeping internal reform of his pontificate — and a dramatic continuation of Pope Francis’s legacy.
This would be the most sweeping internal reform of his pontificate — and a dramatic continuation of Pope Francis’s legacy.
NEW: Pope Leo Set To Break Up Opus Dei
If Pope Leo does indeed approves a plan that effectively dissolves Opus Dei’s structure, it would be the most significant internal action of his short pontificate to date.
open.substack.com
October 17, 2025 at 2:53 AM
HOLY FUCKING SHIT
GUYS
GUYS THIS IS IS SEISMIC
GUYS I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU
OPUS DEI IS THE SCIENTOLOGY OF CATHOLICISM THEY ARE THE ONLY THING "THE DA VINCI CODE" GOT RIGHT THEY ARE AWFUL AND THEY ARE EVIL AND THEY HAVE ENORMOUS POWER AND THEY ARE INTEGRAL TO TRADFASH CATHOLICISM
GUYS
GUYS THIS IS IS SEISMIC
GUYS I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU
OPUS DEI IS THE SCIENTOLOGY OF CATHOLICISM THEY ARE THE ONLY THING "THE DA VINCI CODE" GOT RIGHT THEY ARE AWFUL AND THEY ARE EVIL AND THEY HAVE ENORMOUS POWER AND THEY ARE INTEGRAL TO TRADFASH CATHOLICISM
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So, quick note on the Opus Dei thing, with reference to @clairewillett.bsky.social's excellent thread. Opus Dei clerics are secular clergy. That means that, while they still aren't allowed to fuck, they also aren't, by contrast with orders like the Jesuits or Dominicans, bound to a rule of life.
October 17, 2025 at 3:39 AM
So, quick note on the Opus Dei thing, with reference to @clairewillett.bsky.social's excellent thread. Opus Dei clerics are secular clergy. That means that, while they still aren't allowed to fuck, they also aren't, by contrast with orders like the Jesuits or Dominicans, bound to a rule of life.
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Okay! This is going to take a while so I had to finish some stuff first, but: Why Da Pope Fucking Up Opus Dei Is A Huge Fucking Deal: a thread
Gimme an hour or two and then I'll explain why this is a "holy fucking shit" moment!
October 17, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Okay! This is going to take a while so I had to finish some stuff first, but: Why Da Pope Fucking Up Opus Dei Is A Huge Fucking Deal: a thread
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ICE is all over the city and burbs today, including Waukegan. Multiple reports on social media from people who have found empty work vans and are trying to locate family of their owners. This is a near daily occurrence now.
October 13, 2025 at 7:51 PM
ICE is all over the city and burbs today, including Waukegan. Multiple reports on social media from people who have found empty work vans and are trying to locate family of their owners. This is a near daily occurrence now.
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a key thing about vought — and all of these guys — is that they have a totally top down and hierarchical vision of the world. they believe that the cultural changes they hate can be turned off by destroying the federal government because they can’t imagine that they emerged bottom-up in society
What he’s railing against is a profound shift in culture, status… He’s obsessed with the idea that America is controlled by a leftist “ruling elite” - but “elite” isn’t defined socio-economically or by political power, it means something like: Getting to define “real America” and who gets to belong.
October 12, 2025 at 2:17 PM
a key thing about vought — and all of these guys — is that they have a totally top down and hierarchical vision of the world. they believe that the cultural changes they hate can be turned off by destroying the federal government because they can’t imagine that they emerged bottom-up in society
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1/26
This is a good question, and its the *ROOT* of why the FBI has been pushing disinformation (even to the media and the Governor)
They are *desperate* for this to be a Federal case for specific political and legal reasons and it explains all their "claims":
x.com/cellis212/s...
This is a good question, and its the *ROOT* of why the FBI has been pushing disinformation (even to the media and the Governor)
They are *desperate* for this to be a Federal case for specific political and legal reasons and it explains all their "claims":
x.com/cellis212/s...
September 14, 2025 at 3:08 PM
1/26
This is a good question, and its the *ROOT* of why the FBI has been pushing disinformation (even to the media and the Governor)
They are *desperate* for this to be a Federal case for specific political and legal reasons and it explains all their "claims":
x.com/cellis212/s...
This is a good question, and its the *ROOT* of why the FBI has been pushing disinformation (even to the media and the Governor)
They are *desperate* for this to be a Federal case for specific political and legal reasons and it explains all their "claims":
x.com/cellis212/s...
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I am lightly horrified by how many people have now looked up their books and found out their publishers (who often were required contractually!!!!) just... didn't register the copyrights on books. Not all of them! Just sporadically!
This is not just one publisher, I've seen all the big ones now.
This is not just one publisher, I've seen all the big ones now.
Today is the day authors are learning how many of their publishers straight up blew off registering copyright and I feel like that deserves a class action suit of its own if it costs everyone their settlement money from the Anthropic suit... 😒🤬
Tor just straight up didn't register the copyright for two of our books, even though they were contractually obligated to do so.
One day I will FULLY describe that shit show. But not today.
One day I will FULLY describe that shit show. But not today.
August 28, 2025 at 3:22 PM
I am lightly horrified by how many people have now looked up their books and found out their publishers (who often were required contractually!!!!) just... didn't register the copyrights on books. Not all of them! Just sporadically!
This is not just one publisher, I've seen all the big ones now.
This is not just one publisher, I've seen all the big ones now.
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and to "yes, and" this conversation by cartwheeling in a different direction: there is such a tension right now between three groups:
- folks who want to be spoonfed
- folks who hate being spoonfed
- folks who say they hate being spoonfed but seem to be missing the point even when they have been
- folks who want to be spoonfed
- folks who hate being spoonfed
- folks who say they hate being spoonfed but seem to be missing the point even when they have been
August 19, 2025 at 10:53 PM
and to "yes, and" this conversation by cartwheeling in a different direction: there is such a tension right now between three groups:
- folks who want to be spoonfed
- folks who hate being spoonfed
- folks who say they hate being spoonfed but seem to be missing the point even when they have been
- folks who want to be spoonfed
- folks who hate being spoonfed
- folks who say they hate being spoonfed but seem to be missing the point even when they have been
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A thread 🧵and a call out to folks who know just how insidious and detailed rewriting history is in Christian nationalist education. Having been raised being taught the "history" of the U.S., I don't know think a lot of people know just how much work has gone into erasing details of U.S. history 1/14
If U.S. history is honest, white Christian nationalist theology falls apart.
Rather than change their theology to fit the truth, they twist the truth to fit their theology.
They whitewash, mythologize, and propagandize the past.
Rather than change their theology to fit the truth, they twist the truth to fit their theology.
They whitewash, mythologize, and propagandize the past.
Why the White House’s Smithsonian Review Is Also About Christian Nationalism
They are seizing the chance to propagandize the past.
open.substack.com
August 13, 2025 at 7:20 PM
A thread 🧵and a call out to folks who know just how insidious and detailed rewriting history is in Christian nationalist education. Having been raised being taught the "history" of the U.S., I don't know think a lot of people know just how much work has gone into erasing details of U.S. history 1/14
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Breaking news: A prominent Minnesota Democrat and her spouse were killed early Saturday morning by a gunman impersonating a police officer.
Another state lawmaker and his wife were shot overnight, believed to be connected to the same suspect, police said.
A manhunt for the suspect is underway.
Another state lawmaker and his wife were shot overnight, believed to be connected to the same suspect, police said.
A manhunt for the suspect is underway.
Minnesota lawmaker killed in ‘politically motivated assassination,’ governor says
A prominent Minnesota Democrat and her spouse were killed, while another state lawmaker and his wife were wounded in targeted shootings, police said.
www.washingtonpost.com
June 14, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Breaking news: A prominent Minnesota Democrat and her spouse were killed early Saturday morning by a gunman impersonating a police officer.
Another state lawmaker and his wife were shot overnight, believed to be connected to the same suspect, police said.
A manhunt for the suspect is underway.
Another state lawmaker and his wife were shot overnight, believed to be connected to the same suspect, police said.
A manhunt for the suspect is underway.
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Yep! MAGA Christianity isn't some weird offshoot that started recently, but a carefully nurtured theology that's been nursed to it's present form over the last 50-60 years (really though, longer than that). The interpretation of the Bible by MAGA Christianity is central to that. 1/13
May 23, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Yep! MAGA Christianity isn't some weird offshoot that started recently, but a carefully nurtured theology that's been nursed to it's present form over the last 50-60 years (really though, longer than that). The interpretation of the Bible by MAGA Christianity is central to that. 1/13
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Never say that Democrats are great at facts when so many people cannot get the basics about what happened with Al Franken right.
May 21, 2025 at 4:05 AM
Never say that Democrats are great at facts when so many people cannot get the basics about what happened with Al Franken right.
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"The group, which seeks...damages, argues that the public backlash prevented the company from pursuing "the aggressive, anti-consumer tactics that it would need to achieve" its earnings goals."
do you have a moment to discuss the Good News of dialectical materialism?
www.nbcnews.com/business/bus...
do you have a moment to discuss the Good News of dialectical materialism?
www.nbcnews.com/business/bus...
UnitedHealthcare sued by shareholders over reaction to CEO's killing
The group of investors alleged the company misled them by not adjusting its forecast after Brian Thompson was killed.
www.nbcnews.com
May 9, 2025 at 2:36 AM
"The group, which seeks...damages, argues that the public backlash prevented the company from pursuing "the aggressive, anti-consumer tactics that it would need to achieve" its earnings goals."
do you have a moment to discuss the Good News of dialectical materialism?
www.nbcnews.com/business/bus...
do you have a moment to discuss the Good News of dialectical materialism?
www.nbcnews.com/business/bus...