Health care workers are more overworked than ever: Personnel shortages and red tape are slowing down the whole pipeline at hospitals around the state, with wait times longer than usual at just about every stage of obtaining care. Checking in? That’ll be a long wait. In a bed? It’ll be a while before someone can see you. Ready to leave? You’ll have to wait for discharge proceedings. At this point, getting into a hospital is like getting into a hot new nightclub.

…And the monkeypox situation is not improving: The public health situation in New York seems grim. Monkeypox patients are waiting days to get test results – if they get them at all – and vaccines remain difficult to obtain. Making things worse are onlookers who with garbage-takes like the one in the below screengrab, stigmatizing people who are trying to safeguard their health AND people with disabilities while also spreading misinformation (the virus is spread through physical contact, pregnancy, and contact with animals, not just sex). If you youngsters were wondering what conservatives were saying about us faggots during the worst years of the HIV epidemic, here’s a little window into that time, courtesy of B.M.:

Seattle Pride is helping some worthy causes. Here’s something pleasant: Thousands of dollars are going to help pay for the Seattle Trans Picnic and the Seattle Trans and Nonbinary Choral Ensemble, among other things. Very good, yes. More news like this, please.

Why did the council member cross the road? Two city council members and SDOT officials took a little tour around District 2 last week, noting some of the worst intersections for vulnerable road users. It’s great that this is happening, and we’re hearing a lot of encouraging words about making roads work for everyone (particularly from Councilmember Tammy Morales, who's saying all the right things), but talk is cheap and we also need action, which is expensive.

Looking for a job? Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Markets is hiring a Market Manager right now, and they’re looking for someone with admin and people skills to fill the role. It sounds like a very nice job, to be honest! I imagine it is very pleasant to be a part of one of Seattle’s most universally beloved institutions, which is how it feels to work at The Stranger as long as you never read the comments.

Claes Oldenburg has gone to the giant spoonbridge in the sky. The artist known for his extremely fun sculptures of ordinary objects rendered at a massive scale has passed away at 93. We have one of his works here in Seattle: The massive Typewriter Eraser at MoPOP, an object that you have to be at least in your 50s to be able to identify. 

This latest main character of Twitter was good, actually. We got a nice respite from the usual Twitter cycle of shouting angrily about whatever dumb shit Bethany Mandel wrote, thanks to some videos of gentle mayhem on a nice little farm. This is the cultural cycle now: Something interesting happens on TikTok, Twitter finds out about it a few days later, and then Facebook users get it a month or so later if they’re lucky (faster if it involves Minions).

Queen4Queen is back. The podcast that spotlights Seattle’s drag scene started its second season last month, and I have it on good authority that they’ve got a particularly thrilling interview coming up. You’ll want to have it cued up in your podcatcher to get the new episode dropping tomorrow. 

We’re on fire. There’s a significant fire burning on state-protected land near Chelan (about 100 miles north-east-ish of Seattle). Get smoke forecasts from the state here. So far, air quality still looks pretty clear, but we’re only midway through the year’s smoke season.

Congrats to Metro’s operators of the month for June! Here’s the roundup: It’s the fifth time driver Anthony Dixon has been recognized for his commitment to safety; Zeola Beasley is known for her welcoming smile; Richard Carmichael is recognized for his composure during challenging weather; Pamela Joel is particularly helpful with disabled passengers; Chanthy Nop’s love of driving shines in everything she does; Romel Williams always greets passengers; Hiwot Solomon is noted for his commitment to safety; and passengers have commended Roger St Louis for his kindness. Also, Metro’s writeup notes that in her free time Pamela Joel collects M&M candy dispensers and enjoys calligraphy, and I would really like to know more about both of those things!!!

Got some animals to show off? The Washington State 4-H fair is coming up (September 7 through 25), and if you’d like to enter there’s an online info session happening tomorrow evening. In addition, please send me pictures of your adorable animals.

Republicans are obsessed with other peoples’ boxes. A bunch of GOP weirdos put signs near ballot drop boxes, indicating that the boxes are “under surveillance.” The Seattle Times tried to track down whoever’s responsible – an anonymous email claims it’s “a collaboration of citizens both on the left and the right,” lol sure. The actual person behind it seems to be GOP conspiracy theorist, QAnon sucker, and fringe candidate Amber Krabach, as she was able to provide some information about the placing of the signs. 

Having trouble sleeping? Join the club. Research from UW suggests that you may sleep better if you adjust your work schedule to match your natural rhythms, which is a very nice suggestion that virtually nobody is able to do thanks to capitalism (as always). 

Action dogs! These two go-getters would look great in your backyard.