We are going to Chicago for Halloween and I have an inflatable costume in my Amazon cart ready to purchase should it remain necessary for protest. I chose this one in honor of my favorite Chicago-based character, wizard Harry Dresden, and the night he animated Sue and charged down evil on her back.

"Thank you for those opening remarks to our debate Mr. Collins. Mr. Opponent for Senate Seat, you may now give your opening remarks."

Collns' opponent: "G-E-O-R-G-I-A. And furthermore, 2+2=4 and the earth is round."

Visibly identifiable law enforcement. What a concept.

Goddammit, even Bernie's doing it. We are not in "a rapid and unprecedented movement toward authoritarianism", *we are already there and have been for months*. We are in a fascist dictatorship. JUST SAY IT.

Robert Reich on his podcast just now: we are “getting close to a dictatorship.” IT IS A DICTATORSHIP. I’m so sick of those who refuse to see the church by daylight because they cling to it being still just over the horizon. As Digby said: if arresting judges isn't fascism, the word has no meaning.

I left the Catholic Church years back, because Francis' predecessor Joey the Rat was the final straw for me. I celebrate the life exceedingly well-lived by Francis. He was a true xtian and the Vatican will never make the mistake again of allowing a true xtian to be elected to the papacy.

Hitlerjugen. That's who they are. Hitlerjugen.

They also hat tip to the balaclavas of Pussy Riot.

8/8 he movies you've seen with 18th century lunatic asylums? Like "Quills" and "Amadeus"? Yeah. That. And there's no Nellie Bly coming to save them.

7/? Stuck in their rooms 24/7 because there aren't enough staff to transport them around, no staff to direct activities, no staff for the transport companies that take them to medical appointments. Imagine them being left alone through the night because there is noone willing to work that shift.

6/? Symptoms unnoticed. Violence because there aren't enough staff to calm those with schizophrenia or the dementia that comes of more causes than you've given any thought to. New conditions presenting and current conditions worsening because there is no one to draw or process lab specimens.

5/? Imagine them not getting medications on schedule. Imagine feeding tubes drying up because there aren't enough staff to refresh the bags. Imagine catheter and ostomy bags bursting (possibly tearing out of apertures) because there aren't enough staff to empty them. Wounds going undressed.

4/? Imagine bed sores and skin sloughing off because there aren't enough staff to reposition them as needed. Imagine them wearing the same clothes for days on end or going two weeks without bathing. Not getting enough to eat or a proper diet because there aren't enough staff to prepare meals.

3/? Imagine your loved ones laying in their own waste because there aren't enough staff to change their briefs. Breaking their bones, tearing their tendons and ligaments, sustaining head injuries, because they couldn't wait for someone to assist them to get to and use the toilet.

2/? These facilities are already chronically short-staffed because the pay is low (thank you insurance companies and Medicare reimbursement rates) for work that ranges from hard to grueling. I got news for you - nurses don't do these tasks. Low paid aides do.

1/4 Long thread because of discussions lately about the Fourth Reich’s mass deportation plans. I'm a Certified Nursing Assistant in a long-term care/transitional care facility and 75% of my colleagues are immigrants; if they get rounded up or just leave, residents will suffer greatly and die.

Ever since I read the James Herriot "All Things Yadda Yadda" books as a kid, I've wanted a pair of Wellies. But I never lived anywhere that needed them. Well now I live in Minneapolis, it's winter, so I got me some fucking Wellies.

Claiming the handle before anyone else can take it. I haven't been on stage since the pandemic but she's still me.