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Jonathan Mertzig

@mertzigzag.bsky.social

680 followers 440 following 1.7K posts

Madison, WI. - Professional destroyer of software. Sewer Socialist. Queer geek. Wannabe polyglot. Car avoider/Walker/Cyclist/Transit Enthusiast. 🦩🍻 same handle on Fedi @urbanists.social and (formerly) Xitter...

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Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · Nov 15

Wow! Lots of new followers here today. Here’s what you can expect from me:
1) rants about transit & municipal gov (not just in Madison!)
2) poorly informed takes on soccer and sometimes hockey
3) occasional random attempts at arty photography
4) sometimes: beer, tech, Euro and Canadian politics

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Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 47m

Krasznahorkai won the Nobel Prize?!
I was buying* his books before he was cool! 📚

(*have yet to actually read one… but that can be said of most of my purchases. 😅)

Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 1h

I, a random Wisconsinite, probably know (just barely) more about Mikie Sherrill than the average NJ voter thanks to incessant Dem fundraising spam texts. Classic Democrats. 🤦‍♂️

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 1h

Hey, the NJ gubernatorial election is less than a month away.

If the Democrats here want to start rolling out any kind of ad campaign that tells voters what Mikie Sherrill will do, that'd be super.

And no, "I can fly a helicopter" doesn't count.

Reposted by Jonathan Mertzig

Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 12h

The nominative determinism of this specific atrocity is off the charts here.

Patrick De Klotz @patdeklotz.bsky.social · 14h

American citizen, read this. www.koin.com/news/portlan...

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Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 13h

To be clear, the warehouse scent isn’t unpleasant, but it’s really distinct. IYKYK.👃

Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 13h

Ordered some towels off Woot not realizing they were a brand associated with a company I used to work for. The box shipped from the company HQ and literally smells like the warehouse scent that was burned into my olfactory bulb in my college years. Not a sensory experience one expects from towels.🧖‍♂️

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Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 14h

It took until October for my morning glory vines to finally bloom. And apparently they’re more evening glories than morning ones. 🤷‍♂️🌸🌃

A close up shot of a periwinkle morning glory flower. A Portland flag is in the background as this is an Antifa household. ;)

Reposted by Jonathan Mertzig

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 21h

Extinction Rebellion, a group which wants us to fight climate change more urgently, is blocking low-carbon public transport because it’s a part of an anti-palestine economic system, or something. Seems like maybe they haven’t thought things through.

www.ad.nl/binnenland/a...

Activisten Extinction Rebellion lopen spoor op bij Amsterdam Centraal, treinen stilgezet

De activisten van Extinction Rebellion (XR) hebben woensdagavond opnieuw treinsporen geblokkeerd. Ditmaal bij station Amsterdam Centraal. De politie is volop aanwezig op het station.

www.ad.nl

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Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 1d

Yikes— encountered two bus breakdowns on the way into Verona today. My run picked up the slack from an articulated bus dead on Verona Ave, then pulled up behind another dead bus at the office bus loop. Does not build confidence in the state of maintenance going into winter. 😬

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Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 1d

I now hold Bob Iger personally responsible for my not being able to finish the entirety of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” 😤

Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 1d

Roommate: I canceled Disney/Hulu
Me: oh shit, I should catch up on finishing my show before your subscription runs out
…check up on show progress…
Oh, it’s been deleted. 🤷‍♂️
CANCEL IT HARDER!

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Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 1d

Are you still taking Lamotrigine? What you describe sounds a lot like how I felt after a few weeks on it. Reading was such a literal headache, I just couldn’t focus or process. Ended up quitting it as it wasn’t helping anyway (was taking it off-label for migraine). Might be worth asking your doctor.

Reposted by Jonathan Mertzig

Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 2d

Our "Oddsconsin" pick from Howard Veregin this week details the history of @uwmadison.bsky.social's first official seal, Numen Lumen, which was designed in 1854 by John Hiram Lathrop.

Oddsconsin: Numen Lumen

Before Bucky Badger, there was Numen Lumen.

tonemadison.com

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Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 2d

We've really got to fix that TOD overlay...

Zenz @therealzenz.bsky.social · 2d

I guess this company's entire thing is to build fake 2 story shipping container coffee drive-throughs in the TOD overlay district. One on the left approved in March on Lien Rd, One on the right was approved tonight.

Details
www.councilytics.com/Plan_Commiss...

www.councilytics.com/Plan_Commiss...

Reposted by Jonathan Mertzig

Popehat Agitates And Irritates @kenwhite.bsky.social · 2d

It’s important to flood social media and news channels with news about how ICE lies, so that potential jurors see it.

Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 2d

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government’s claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed.
trib.al/9Sxu9IN

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something b-----' before shooting

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government's claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed. A judge ordered Martinez and a co-defendant released pending trial.

trib.al

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Reposted by Jonathan Mertzig

Elizabeth Spiers @espiers.bsky.social · 3d

I’m telling you: ridicule works. These guys are supposed to intimidate the citizenry and it’s very hard to do that when a guy in a frog suit is just staring you down and daring you to do something that makes it look like you’re afraid of a cartoon

dan sinker @dansinker.com · 3d

Portland never stops being Portland.

competentposter @competentposter.bsky.social · 4d

wizard frog is insane

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Reposted by Jonathan Mertzig

Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 3d

Far right influencers, pundits and politicians have really ramped up their “who can spread the biggest, most asinine lie” contest.

Maia @maiamindel.bsky.social · 3d

what the fuck is going on

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Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 3d

Now *should* I downsize my media collection... yes, I'm running out of space! *Will I*...? well, we'll see. Gonna be a "Hoarders" situation in here soon. 😅

Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 3d

I feel seen... 👀

theonion.com/physical-med...

Physical Media Collector Pumped For Downfall Of Humanity

MESA, AZ—Gleefully describing the inevitable day when society would collapse and digital files would become unusable, local physical media collector David Campbell confirmed Wednesday he was “absolute...

theonion.com

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Reposted by Jonathan Mertzig

Emmanuel Goldstein 🇺🇦 @goldste.in · 3d

Even the busses in Canada are overly polite.

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Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 3d

Looks sharp, but also getting a strong “Air Koryo” vibe from it… 🇰🇵🛩️

Edward Russell @byerussell.com · 3d

JSX “retro” livery 🔥

#AvGeek

#flyjsx #jsx #goldenage #travel #retrojet | Ben Kaufman

Some aircraft carry passengers, but this one carries history in the making. We’ve welcomed our 50th airplane to the fleet at JSX, adorned in a retro-inspired livery that honors the idyllic golden age ...

www.linkedin.com

Reposted by Jonathan Mertzig

Rose City Riveters @rosecityriveters.org · 4d

New art not on the rails today. #BAONPDX

Two banners. One asks “is this banned” and the other refers to three different states of water.

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Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 4d

Trying to enroll a few computers in Win10 ESU:
1st--worked fine, apart from the "feature" of having to unlink my MS account from everything again.
2nd-- after authenticating, "Something went wrong" error... ok, *what* went wrong?
3rd-- not even trying it until the 2nd one is working. I trust nothing

a man wearing sunglasses and a hat is saying i am straight up not having a good time

Alt: a man wearing sunglasses and a hat is saying i am straight up not having a good time

media.tenor.com

Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 4d

Stupid shit like this makes the government in "Idiocracy" look like a utopia of geniuses by comparison.

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 4d

This story about the FBI director handing out challenge coins that celebrate vigilante violence came out the same week that he fired an agent for having a small rainbow flag on his desk.

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Reposted by Jonathan Mertzig

Mitchell Meerman @meerkatbang.bsky.social · 4d

Jay Tee Kamara jumping into Damià Viader like

a pixel art of mario jumping over a blue block

ALT: a pixel art of mario jumping over a blue block

media.tenor.com

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Jonathan Mertzig @mertzigzag.bsky.social · 4d

This place is way better than Xitter for organic engagement but the sus stuff is definitely on the rise.