Jonathan Mergy

@mergy@self.social
279 Followers
552 Following
1.3K Posts
Tech pro in San Francisco. Posting on #technology, #nonprofits, #sysadmin, #cybersecurity, #infosec, #news, #philosophy, #SanFrancisco things, and attempts at humor.
Websitehttps://mergy.org
Socialhttps://self.social/me.html
well 4.4.1 upgrade try was no fun. I will try again at some point. #mastoadmin

Christopher Booker has been great as a correspondent covering the horrible news in Texas >>
Texas teams peel away layers of flood debris in search for missing

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/texas-teams-peel-away-layers-of-flood-debris-in-search-for-missing

Texas teams peel away layers of flood debris in search for missing

More than 160 people remain missing from the catastrophic floods that hit central Texas last week. At least 119 people have been killed, but as search crews continue their work, officials expect the death toll to keep growing. Special correspondent Christopher Booker reports on the latest efforts in Kerr County.

PBS News

Excellent segment on handling homeless now in California. >> California’s homeless encampment crackdown draws criticism from health experts

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/californias-homeless-encampment-crackdown-draws-criticism-from-health-experts

California’s homeless encampment crackdown draws criticism from health experts

California is home to the nation’s largest homeless population. Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose administration has spent more than $20 billion on the issue, recently urged cities and counties to pass laws that effectively ban “dangerous and unhealthy” encampments. While some welcomed the move, others worry about the health impacts of such measures on the state’s homeless population. Stephanie Sy reports.

PBS News
TSA to End Shoe Removal Requirement at Airport Security Checkpoints

Most passengers had been required to remove their footwear at checkpoints since 2006, a policy later eased only for members of trusted traveler programs.

The New York Times

Excellent coverage on the brutal cuts to vulnerable people across the country because of the US budget passed on July 4th. >> Who will be affected by Trump administration’s Medicaid, SNAP work requirements

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/who-will-be-affected-by-trump-administrations-medicaid-snap-work-requirements

Who will be affected by Trump administration’s Medicaid, SNAP work requirements

President Trump’s big tax law includes a major provision the GOP has endorsed for years: work requirements for Medicaid recipients and for food stamp benefits. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 11.8 million Americans could lose medical coverage over the next decade and more than 3 million could lose SNAP benefits. Laura Barrón-López discussed the stakes with Pamela Herd.

PBS News
Imagine there's a once-in-a-lifetime walk that takes you through the greatest, most dramatic scenery in the world. You leave from Point A and walk your way back around to Point A.
The ChatGPT guy above might as well say: "Pro tip: You can go on that great walk by never leaving Point A" 3/3
These AI guys have mistaken a photo of a meal in a restaurant menu for the meal itself. They tell themselves it looks just like the real thing, so it must be the real thing, but in the end they'll starve to death. No protein, no carbs, no vitamins, no nutrients, nothing. 2/3
Pretty sure all these #AI guys have utterly misconstrued what art is. They think it's just information/data, but it's not: it's a process; it's a manifestation of interwoven conscious & unconscious thoughts that have ripened in a human mind, sometimes for decades. And the result is an interaction with another human mind, a dialogue. 1/3
Mexico was the better team today. Unfortunate for #USMNT
Excellent piece on Ziz LaSota in NYT. I had no idea how all of this progressed. >> She Wanted to Save the World From A.I. Then the Killings Started. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/06/business/ziz-lasota-zizians-rationalists.html