@nursefrombirth Well I was told in my final conversation with my ex brother that MAGA considers college educated people dweebs. This was related to me by a college graduate who could not have obtained any of his employment without said degree.

@MidnightRider @nursefrombirth
Making me try to think my way through this is making my brain hurt.

@Krysdammit @nursefrombirth Preach! I could have pointed out the same data directly to him but I decided to turn off my light saber like Alec Guiness and seek inner peace. If he wants to deny the facts of his life so be it.

@MidnightRider @nursefrombirth
I've learned that there is no way that we can make people who are nonsensical see sense.
I do not have that power and hate to tell you that you don't either.
It breaks my heart but we are powerless against nonsense.

@Krysdammit @nursefrombirth I don't even want to try anymore, I'm not an influencer as I once was with technology. MAGA loves to fight, the best way to end their quest is with ambivalence.

@MidnightRider @nursefrombirth
While I don't have MAGA in my life I do have someone who thinks in their own way. It makes their life very fraught and difficult. All I can do is stand back and hurt for them, be there when they need me.

Life is complicated and hard.

@Krysdammit @nursefrombirth I understand that. I'm happier without him in my life, he like so many Trump lovers is crazy. He actually stated that the government was turning down the AM signal to keep him from his "truth messengers". When I explained the wave differences between AM / FM he said he'd need to vet that information, mkay, go for it!

@MidnightRider @nursefrombirth
When they have problems differentiating between AM and FM, well I have no words except I'm sorry.

@Krysdammit @nursefrombirth He used to be fun, wild and smart. Now, IMO, he's an idiot who offers stupid MAGA observations like a Tourette's patient. How do scientists know how old those waterfalls are? Gee IDK, but since your stable believes the Ark encounter represents facts aren't you on the wrong side of that question?

@MidnightRider @nursefrombirth
I don't understand how people, especially, young males, could have fallen for his crap?
He's ugly, always was. He's stupid and vain. He's mean, always was. I can go on and on for hours. How can anyone look at this mean ugly inside, and out person and say, "Yea, I believe in him, he will save me."

@MidnightRider @Krysdammit @nursefrombirth

This is sublime and beautiful. Also terrible that it’s come to this, but “ambivalence” is
👍😎❤️

@MidnightRider It concerns me greatly when people devalue education. Achieving a degree is a significant accomplishment that opens doors to diverse opportunities, which. Education is an investment in personal and societal growth, regardless of political affiliations. I could NEVER support any entity that requires me to DUMB DOWN to fit in.

@nursefrombirth @MidnightRider

Since my cognitive abilities are highly compromised (last day on Paxlovid), I crave intelligent dialogue from folks like you & Midnight.

My heart breaks that my brother just turned 70 and I cannot celebrate with him. His lifetime of conspiracy theories has driven a stake through my heart.

For the sake of my own inner peace/sanity, I must demur. There is no battle between adults and children.

@LnzyHou @nursefrombirth I totally get it. Just a random sample: " oh you did all the maintenance of your car on time with diligence, it will probably drop a transmission and waste the efforts". Every remark is along the same trend, put down, my way would have been better, superior or Wile E Coyote super- genius stuff. All sprinkled with MAGA, the rich pay the most taxes blah blah. I told him it was above 90% once and Vanderbilts and others still got super wealthy. That was for the war.

Most of my conversations with MAGA, not republicans in general, end with this: Well, if you are okay being a FOOL then I'm gonna let you. NAMASTE.🧘🏽‍♀️ That really confuses them.

@MidnightRider @LnzyHou

@nursefrombirth @LnzyHou If that helps you then "run it" of course. In reality that's just "emotional reactionary hippie talk" to them. I mean he thinks Trump won.

When I get to the "you're a fool" point, I no longer care about what it means to them, I celebrate what it means to me, FREEDOM from one more foolish MAGA. Well, Trump doesn't even think he won, he knows, he just doesn't care and he's dragged a bunch of gullible people down that rabbit hole that he knows doesn't exist. I'd be a fool to continue to engage with a FOOL and I'm NOBODYS FOOL.

@MidnightRider @LnzyHou

@MidnightRider @LnzyHou @nursefrombirth I don't know if it is different in US but I'd say it depends why you wanted that education in the first place. At a personal level, university just got me a beautiful graduation and not much in the way of my goals. Education in itself is not useless but whether it will help you individually would depend on your motives. I never got a well-paid career from university education, which was my sole motivation for studying.

@Cynanthrope @LnzyHou @nursefrombirth In the 80's, a four-year degree was the passport into industry. I agree with you that selection is paramount. I can only speak to medicine and tell you I appreciated cadaver anatomy and direct application of physics. The only other way to truly know Radiology is to come from a branch of service.

@MidnightRider @LnzyHou @nursefrombirth I was sold a dream that a degree, regardless of topic was a passport into a great job and decent pay. I never knew what I wanted to do for a career until a few years ago. I just chased rainbows looking for a pot of gold. Sorry to disappoint that I didn't have a noble reason for getting an education and just wanted cash. Current career is something I love at least.

@Cynanthrope No, disappointment here. We are all unique and have our own reasons for doing things. The important thing is that we figure it out. I knew from a small child that I wanted to be a nurse, an awesome nurse, and I knew what it entailed.
Once I got my initial certification, LPN, I wanted more and I have never waivered in my pursuit, questioned my sanity at times, but I had to do it. Not for the money, but mostly because I was told I couldn't.

@MidnightRider @LnzyHou

I have a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP). My specialty is Evidence-Based Practice, Healthcare Systems Leadership, and I have a Masters in Nursing Administration. I do Quality Improvement work and teach online. I am not a NP. Thinking about getting that in Psych, but not convinced yet. I already do a lot of counseling too.

@LnzyHou @Cynanthrope @MidnightRider

@nursefrombirth @LnzyHou @Cynanthrope I salute your educational achievements and your professional pursuit even more.

@nursefrombirth @LnzyHou @Cynanthrope Evidence based practice. When I left to start my own services the "family practice" I worked at received checks for % of patients in a given populous to be on say Vytorin. I attended dinners where Doctor X says, yep our patient's love Cialis into a microphone for fat checks. Kickbacks from radiology groups for referral and unneeded exposure to ionizing radiation. It was a clown show, so glad I left it.

@MidnightRider @nursefrombirth @Cynanthrope

I’m still dumb-founded by OxyContin addiction machine. My own doc post hip replacement said after week on that drug you are addicted. Fortunately I projectile vomit all opioids (including synthetics). My pain from hip and knee replacement surgeries was treated with high strength CBD capsules. Doc had me sneak them into hospital & hide them from nurses.

I am highly suspect of ALL drugs from Big Pharm.

@LnzyHou @nursefrombirth @Cynanthrope I do not believe patients with permanent damaging pain should be prevented from having opioids. My current internist has never had me get a chest x-ray. The family medicine doctors did every patient, every year. In short whatever it was legal to bill for was "game on". Medicine designed to print money. I'm fortunate to have worked with geniuses on products that defined medical imaging and made me some bank.

@MidnightRider @nursefrombirth @Cynanthrope

Nor do I. Just accept that at some point they are addicted and cannot tolerate life without it.

It is the young mother who breaks a bone, has endometriosis or migraines who is given Oxy and becomes addicted almost immediately. She has to migrate to street drugs.

And the money-grubbing Sacklers knew it.

@LnzyHou @nursefrombirth @Cynanthrope I know people who use opiates and their synthetics responsibly. It's all about the drug Du Jour in media. I had patents tell me they mixed klonipin, martini's and hydrocodones before each appointment to calm down! All I said was get a ride to all your future appointments. None of my business.

@MidnightRider @nursefrombirth @Cynanthrope

It became my business when family members were dying right before my eyes.

@LnzyHou @nursefrombirth @Cynanthrope This patient specifically asked to confide in me, I felt it was only right to give her a safe space in radiology to speak her peace, she was also in her 70's I felt she deserved that. Lastly, I would have never trusted telling anyone in that building either, things had a way of coming back on you at the den of thieves.

Yes, they did. Although this is now coming to light and many lawsuits are being filed, it doesn't bring back loved ones that we've lost to the horrible disease of addiction.

@LnzyHou @MidnightRider @Cynanthrope

@nursefrombirth @LnzyHou @Cynanthrope A physician mixed blood thinners with my dad's statin, he had a brain bleed within 30 hours. They screw up all over the place and because he was old? The doctor left medicine and nothing was done about it.

@LnzyHou @nursefrombirth @Cynanthrope I was taken off of BP medicine, Walgreens filled ALL of the unneeded refills to bill the insurance company against my directives. Imagine if we stopped all the bullshit how much would be saved and what wages could be shared?

Unfortunately, Big Pharma presented oxycodone as an effective strategy for managing pain, while hiding the fact that the drug is highly addictive.
I can't begin to tell you of the many instances I've seen in my years of practice where folk go in for surgery or are being treated for some other type of pain and end up addicted by no choice of their own. They then need the medication to treat another type of pain.

@LnzyHou @MidnightRider @Cynanthrope

@nursefrombirth @MidnightRider @Cynanthrope

I know so many destroyed by Oxy scripts given by docs who refill, refill, refill, letting the addicted patient dictate the outcome which is treatment, insanity or heroin.

Step into NA meeting. Soul-crushing .

@LnzyHou @nursefrombirth @Cynanthrope Well again Lindsey I've heard of MANY whose lives were destroyed by Xanax, it's arbitrary if someone wants to use the drugs wrong.

@MidnightRider @nursefrombirth @Cynanthrope

Likewise. My point is most often folks don’t willfully use drugs “wrong” until they have become addicted by the drugs being used “right”.

The drugs are deadly.

Wants to? I'm convinced that not a single soul dreams of becoming a drug addict. Addiction is a complex struggle, often arising from various factors. It's crucial to recognize it as an illness that deserves empathy and support, not judgment.

@MidnightRider @LnzyHou @Cynanthrope

@nursefrombirth @MidnightRider @Cynanthrope

I have NEVER known an addict/alcoholic who wanted to be. Once the addiction switch goes on, it takes incredible courage/ tenacity to manage it. Even after decades of recovery, folks can slide back into the hellhole without daily diligence & good choices.

@LnzyHou @nursefrombirth @Cynanthrope It's like dieting, it's a bad name for what is required, permanent changes to eating habits.

@nursefrombirth @MidnightRider @LnzyHou I always knew that I just wanted to make cash and live comfortably but what made it harder to figure out is being told that you have to "follow your heart." I wish that someone had told me from a child that survival and comfort are sufficient goals until you find something you care about.

@Cynanthrope @nursefrombirth @LnzyHou We are babies at the age we are supposed to choose about life, we don't know squat at that age.

@MidnightRider @nursefrombirth @LnzyHou My brother said the same thing. You are given one work experience opportunity and expected to know what you want to do with your life with barely any life experience. I was one of those kids sheltered from a lot of experience and who had to learn about the world from documentaries and books. Even kids who have the normal growing up experience like my siblings don't have enough experience at that age to make big life choices.

@nursefrombirth @Cynanthrope @MidnightRider @LnzyHou

My daughter has a passion for teaching. She left industry jobs and took on debt getting the courses required to teach on the level she does today. I'm glad she's found where she fits.

@ellesu @nursefrombirth @Cynanthrope @LnzyHou Good for her for sure. My friend taught for his entire career and had to go nights to get his master's degree. His pay never reflected the effort or his talent.

@MidnightRider @nursefrombirth

Sounds like my brother to a tee. Yet we share some spectacular memories before the battle began.

We drove from Phoenix to Puerto Penasco MX, assembled his ultra lite plane, taxied on the beach then flew out over the Sea of Cortez where we could see schools of enormous fish. We soared and banked in the hot thermals.

Riding on the back, he could feel my chest heaving against him as I wept from the beauty of it all.

He and I became birds.

@MidnightRider @nursefrombirth

I’m proud of you. At some point we realize there is no common ground. Nor do they understand the value of same.

Don’t ever question if you are on the side of Love.

It's admirable to set boundaries. I've learned to LOVE some people from afar. My peace is worth it.

@LnzyHou @MidnightRider

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