A Rogue Monster
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aroguemonster.bsky.social
A Rogue Monster
@aroguemonster.bsky.social
Chicago-based cat-loving abolitionist nerd.
Reposted by A Rogue Monster
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has proposed disastrous cuts to our city's libraries while setting aside $5M for a ShotSpotter replacement. As library associate Sara Heymann told me, “Libraries embody everything we need to fight back against fascism.” My piece on what’s at stake and how to fight back:
You Can’t Fight Fascism While Defunding Libraries
“Libraries embody everything that we need right now to fight back against fascism," says Sara Heymann.
organizingmythoughts.org
December 3, 2025 at 6:25 PM
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If you're buying gifts for spirited 12 year olds who have read most of the middle grade graphic novel canon, can I recommend my book The Legend of Auntie Po? It's multi-awarded, and well reviewed, but hasn't entirely found its commercial footing.

www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/601780...
The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor: 9780525554882 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST Part historical fiction, part fable, and 100 percent adventure. Thirteen-year-old Mei reimagines the myths of Paul Bunyan as starring a Chinese heroine while she works ...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
December 3, 2025 at 5:33 PM
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Taken together with the ongoing conversation about the budget it feels very bad that We have to repeatedly nicely and administratively ask the Chicago Police department to stop pointing guns at civilians while also taking so very much of our money.
CPD's gun-pointing policy needs update
Gun-pointing by CPD officers should only be permitted in cases when deadly force is authorized. Also, Northwestern University's settlement with relation to its systemic inequities, Sun-Times columnist...
chicago.suntimes.com
December 3, 2025 at 2:25 PM
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“'Librarians out in our branches are seeing a lot of young people who are really excited by these collections,' Langlais told 404 Media. 'Folks who are coming in just for the games are picking up program flyers and coming back for something like that.'"
The Last Video Rental Store Is Your Public Library
Audio-visual librarians are quietly amassing large physical media collections amid the IP disputes threatening select availability.
www.404media.co
December 3, 2025 at 2:49 PM
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What's happening with the Chicago Public Libraries right now is terrible. The proposed budget of the city would CUT 89 CPL positions. Importantly, 78 positions were lost LAST year. That would be 167 positions in 2 YEARS while COPS KEEP GETTING MORE MONEY. ENOUGH. SAY NO.
December 2, 2025 at 10:51 PM
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They don't care if we live or die.

Great Lakes Cheese Co.'s shredded cheese sold at major retailers, including Target, Walmart, and Aldi, has been recalled in 31 states and Puerto Rico.

The cheese was recalled on Oct. 3 for containing metal fragments. On Dec. 2, the FDA updated the risk level. 🌱
FDA Announces Shredded Cheese Recall in 31 States Over Metal Fragments
A recall has been initiated for shredded cheese sold at major retailers—including Walmart, Target, and Aldi—due to pieces of metal, which can cause internal injuries.
www.health.com
December 3, 2025 at 2:22 PM
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Stop using Spotify oh my GOD
December 3, 2025 at 2:30 PM
the privatization of our public services is a PROBLEM. When private contractors are doing public work, we lose transparncy and the capability to hold them accountable to us.
new: government contractors are increasingly invoking trade secrets protections to shield products like gunshot detection, dna analysis, and facial recognition from public scrutiny.

via max blaisdell + matt chapman
Trade secrets protections shield information from public view
When a government contractor’s right to privacy outweighs the public’s right to know
chicagoreader.com
December 3, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Reposted by A Rogue Monster
There's a couple reasons so many IWW songs are set to the tunes of hymns and one is that the Salvation Army Band would show up and try to stop workers organizing by playing hymns to drown out speeches, so the Wobblies came up with words so they could sing along. SA has been trash all along.
It's that giving time of year again, so this is a reminder that no matter how they try to dress it up, the Salvation Army is not a charity.
December 3, 2025 at 2:09 AM
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If JK Rowling herself doesn't separate her art from her transphobia, and has said she sees every Harry Potter fan as a fan of her transphobia, and uses every dollar she makes to fund transphobia, I need people to stop insisting they "separate art from artist" because it's beyond disingenuous atp
December 2, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Budgets are a moral document, and right now the City of Chicago is showing it values surveillance over libraries.
The proposed Chicago city budget has a $5 million line item for a ShotSpotter replacement. Abandoning this failed pursuit would free up the funds needed to maintain 2025 funding levels at our city libraries, which would still leave the libraries underfunded but would avoid disastrous proposed cuts.
December 2, 2025 at 2:53 PM
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Unsure of what organizations you should be donating to this #GivingTuesday? Wish there was a quiz that could help you parse your priorities?
@denali.bsky.social and I are here to help!
Inspired by the Cosmo Quizzes of yore, you can take this 6 question quiz and figure out your Giving Type!
November 27, 2025 at 4:12 PM
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*not shopping at Target intensifies*
December 1, 2025 at 8:31 PM
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be the bitch doing something yourself that you want to see in the world
there’s a scene in the new documentary where Elizabeth Taylor is talking about the stigma of AIDS and how she got involved in the movement and it’s fucking everything
December 1, 2025 at 8:54 PM
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Reminder to everyone that today is Annual Unsubscribe from Marketing List Day (aka "Cyber Monday").

Dont just delete those spammy "our best deal of the year!" emails today. Take the extra minute to Unsubscribe!
December 1, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Pam's work is always stunning. I have so much art by her, and I always want more.
Get some Pam Art!
Shop drop on dec 1, 12am pst including a postcard calendar, seconds sale mystery necklaces (my fav), and hand painted wood shields

pamwishbow.com
December 1, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Giving Tuesday is tomorrow! Decision paralysis got you unsure of who you should be giving to? Let our quiz help you find the orgs that best match your values and giving style!
Unsure of what organizations you should be donating to this #GivingTuesday? Wish there was a quiz that could help you parse your priorities?
@denali.bsky.social and I are here to help!
Inspired by the Cosmo Quizzes of yore, you can take this 6 question quiz and figure out your Giving Type!
December 1, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Reposted by A Rogue Monster
What if — hear me out — instead of hiring a person to only plow in front of a single business, we hired them to go down the entire block….and the next…and the next…

We could even have a small fleet to cover whole swaths of the city. #PlowTheSidewalks
But *how* will they #PlowTheSidewalks? With what technology?
November 29, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Had to leave Wisconsin at 7am, but thats nothing compared to driving through whatever this is now.
we only saw 6.5 cars spun out, and all of that was south of Milwaukee.

Stay safe out there.
November 29, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Unsure of what organizations you should be donating to this #GivingTuesday? Wish there was a quiz that could help you parse your priorities?
@denali.bsky.social and I are here to help!
Inspired by the Cosmo Quizzes of yore, you can take this 6 question quiz and figure out your Giving Type!
November 27, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Reposted by A Rogue Monster
Device…hoarding. Because you don’t go get a new one while yours is still fine.

Apparently I am also practicing car hoarding, house hoarding, husband hoarding, dog hoarding, computer hoarding, furniture hoarding and art hoarding.
stupid young people, stop buying a new phone every year if you don't want to be broke. wait no, not like that.
November 25, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Nobody is doing cringe problematic drama boys the way that @aidosaur.bsky.social and @ananthhirsh.bsky.social are. They've really pulled out all the stops this chapter, so please go read Barbarous so I have more people to cackle at this nonsense with
BARBAROUS UPDATE! ✨ Chapter 9 Pg 21!

EAT SWORD!!!!!!! 😡⚔️

Always read for free @ johnnywander.com!
November 25, 2025 at 8:25 PM
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The snowy owls sitting on Montrose Pier this foggy morning. The Chicago Park District has closed the pier’s far end to keep people from getting too close.
November 25, 2025 at 3:56 PM
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we're going to win
Page One in Cincinnati:

“.. I need to be able to look my grandkids in the eye and say I did not remain silent.”

#ICE
November 25, 2025 at 1:02 PM
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~1 yr ago we sent a Giving Tuesday email to our tiny mailing list shortly after starting our own publication.

In the time since, we have been overwhelmed by how many of you find our work worth supporting.

No email this time around. But if you'd like to support indie media today, here's how:
Support Unraveled
unraveledpress.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:54 PM