Wesley Ratko
@datavizwes.bsky.social
Data visualization developer and journalist. Dad and husband. Proud (yes, really) New Jersey resident. Jewish person. Jazz lover. Pen aficionado. Enough?
Reposted by Wesley Ratko
"M.A.G.A."?
Be specific.
I grew up near a major city with people of all ethnicities, incomes, & perspectives. We communicated & learned from our differences. There was respect & consideration for one another. THAT was great.
The US is its diversity. If you hate diversity, you don't love the US.
Be specific.
I grew up near a major city with people of all ethnicities, incomes, & perspectives. We communicated & learned from our differences. There was respect & consideration for one another. THAT was great.
The US is its diversity. If you hate diversity, you don't love the US.
June 8, 2025 at 4:18 PM
"M.A.G.A."?
Be specific.
I grew up near a major city with people of all ethnicities, incomes, & perspectives. We communicated & learned from our differences. There was respect & consideration for one another. THAT was great.
The US is its diversity. If you hate diversity, you don't love the US.
Be specific.
I grew up near a major city with people of all ethnicities, incomes, & perspectives. We communicated & learned from our differences. There was respect & consideration for one another. THAT was great.
The US is its diversity. If you hate diversity, you don't love the US.
Hey @mailfence.com folks…I've had trouble accessing my email all day. What's the story with the North American server?
June 2, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Hey @mailfence.com folks…I've had trouble accessing my email all day. What's the story with the North American server?
“in America the law is king. For as in absolute governments the King is law, so in free countries the law ought to be king; and there ought to be no other.”
Common sense, indeed.
Common sense, indeed.
May 16, 2025 at 1:08 PM
“in America the law is king. For as in absolute governments the King is law, so in free countries the law ought to be king; and there ought to be no other.”
Common sense, indeed.
Common sense, indeed.
My latest for Express-News. Reporting by Liz Teitz.
Photos: See how the drought is affecting Central Texas lakes
Before and after images show how Hill Country reservoirs, including Canyon and Medina lakes, are continuing to shrink.
www.expressnews.com
May 14, 2025 at 12:46 AM
My latest for Express-News. Reporting by Liz Teitz.
Musically I'm on a Sam Fender kick. It's good stuff… curious how I never heard of this guy before this month.
April 29, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Musically I'm on a Sam Fender kick. It's good stuff… curious how I never heard of this guy before this month.
Season 2 of The West Wing might be the strongest single season of TV I've ever seen. Twenty-five years later the whole thing holds up. It starts strong, it ends strong. Twenty-two solid episodes, not a weak one in the bunch. Aaron Sorkin is incredible.
April 24, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Season 2 of The West Wing might be the strongest single season of TV I've ever seen. Twenty-five years later the whole thing holds up. It starts strong, it ends strong. Twenty-two solid episodes, not a weak one in the bunch. Aaron Sorkin is incredible.
Getting artificial dye out of the food isn't the worst thing in the world. It's not worth an assault on the safety and efficacy of vaccines or an attack on the capability of people on the spectrum. I'm just saying…not the worst thing.
April 23, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Getting artificial dye out of the food isn't the worst thing in the world. It's not worth an assault on the safety and efficacy of vaccines or an attack on the capability of people on the spectrum. I'm just saying…not the worst thing.
Listening to my five year-old daughter singing "We Will Rock You" while getting dressed in her room is giving me the smiles this morning.
April 22, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Listening to my five year-old daughter singing "We Will Rock You" while getting dressed in her room is giving me the smiles this morning.
“Americans, while occasionally willing to be serfs, have always been obstinate about being peasantry.” -The Great Gatsby.
April 19, 2025 at 8:58 PM
“Americans, while occasionally willing to be serfs, have always been obstinate about being peasantry.” -The Great Gatsby.
The Mack truck assembly plant in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley is laying off 250 to 350 people due to “market uncertainty.”
I’m willing to bet those guys weren’t Harris voters.
I’m willing to bet those guys weren’t Harris voters.
April 18, 2025 at 10:31 AM
The Mack truck assembly plant in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley is laying off 250 to 350 people due to “market uncertainty.”
I’m willing to bet those guys weren’t Harris voters.
I’m willing to bet those guys weren’t Harris voters.
Reposted by Wesley Ratko
Abrego Garcia wasn’t deported. He was kidnapped. He’s not in a prison. He’s in a 💀 camp. He was denied his right to due process and everyone in the U.S., including those without legal status, have constitutional rights to due process under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. 1/
April 16, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Abrego Garcia wasn’t deported. He was kidnapped. He’s not in a prison. He’s in a 💀 camp. He was denied his right to due process and everyone in the U.S., including those without legal status, have constitutional rights to due process under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. 1/
New season of Black Mirror is on Netflix and the episode Eulogy with Paul Giamatti (in an AMAZING performance) is easily my very favorite segment of the entire series run. Credited writers:
Charlie Brooker and Ella Road.
A beautiful use of science fiction to tell a really heartbreaking story.
Charlie Brooker and Ella Road.
A beautiful use of science fiction to tell a really heartbreaking story.
April 15, 2025 at 11:48 AM
New season of Black Mirror is on Netflix and the episode Eulogy with Paul Giamatti (in an AMAZING performance) is easily my very favorite segment of the entire series run. Credited writers:
Charlie Brooker and Ella Road.
A beautiful use of science fiction to tell a really heartbreaking story.
Charlie Brooker and Ella Road.
A beautiful use of science fiction to tell a really heartbreaking story.
I'm reading The Great Gatsby for the 4th time in my life. I read it in high school, again in my 20s, a third time ten years ago, and now again in middle age. Tom Buchanan gets more awful with each reading and I'm seeing more interesting details emerge this time.
Nick remains elusive to me.
Nick remains elusive to me.
April 15, 2025 at 11:46 AM
I'm reading The Great Gatsby for the 4th time in my life. I read it in high school, again in my 20s, a third time ten years ago, and now again in middle age. Tom Buchanan gets more awful with each reading and I'm seeing more interesting details emerge this time.
Nick remains elusive to me.
Nick remains elusive to me.
I can't remember where I saw this but somewhere this morning I read: "Deleting pages from a government website isn't really any different than burning books." And I can't stop thinking about that.
April 11, 2025 at 4:19 PM
I can't remember where I saw this but somewhere this morning I read: "Deleting pages from a government website isn't really any different than burning books." And I can't stop thinking about that.
This morning I referred to someone as the "Teddy Savalas of Capricorn One" and now I need to schedule that colonoscopy.
(…because I'm old).
(…because I'm old).
April 10, 2025 at 2:37 PM
This morning I referred to someone as the "Teddy Savalas of Capricorn One" and now I need to schedule that colonoscopy.
(…because I'm old).
(…because I'm old).
A lot of people were liberated from their money today.
April 2, 2025 at 11:37 PM
A lot of people were liberated from their money today.
MAGA obsession with Hungary and yet no one’s coined the phrase MAGA-yar yet.
March 31, 2025 at 12:09 PM
MAGA obsession with Hungary and yet no one’s coined the phrase MAGA-yar yet.
Reposted by Wesley Ratko
They are disappearing people off the streets
They are disappearing people off the streets
They are disappearing people off the streets
They are disappearing people off the streets
They are disappearing people off the streets
They are disappearing people off the streets
They are disappearing people off the streets
They are disappearing people off the streets
They are disappearing people off the streets
March 27, 2025 at 2:29 PM
They are disappearing people off the streets
They are disappearing people off the streets
They are disappearing people off the streets
They are disappearing people off the streets
They are disappearing people off the streets
They are disappearing people off the streets
They are disappearing people off the streets
They are disappearing people off the streets
They are disappearing people off the streets
Reposted by Wesley Ratko
If you accept that non-citizens have no right to due process, you are accepting that citizens have no right to due process. All the government has to do is claim that you are not a citizen; without due process you have no chance to prove the contrary.
March 24, 2025 at 10:18 PM
If you accept that non-citizens have no right to due process, you are accepting that citizens have no right to due process. All the government has to do is claim that you are not a citizen; without due process you have no chance to prove the contrary.
Reposted by Wesley Ratko
On a meta-level, one of the many horrifying things about this story is that the Atlantic had no reasonable option other than to release the Signal messages at this point.
They should have been able to go to the Inspector General! Or the FBI! Or Congress!
They should have been able to go to the Inspector General! Or the FBI! Or Congress!
March 26, 2025 at 4:13 PM
On a meta-level, one of the many horrifying things about this story is that the Atlantic had no reasonable option other than to release the Signal messages at this point.
They should have been able to go to the Inspector General! Or the FBI! Or Congress!
They should have been able to go to the Inspector General! Or the FBI! Or Congress!
Yesterday I became a subscriber to @theatlantic.com. It’s an excellent publication doing quality journalism.
Support journalism!
Support journalism!
March 26, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Yesterday I became a subscriber to @theatlantic.com. It’s an excellent publication doing quality journalism.
Support journalism!
Support journalism!
Reposted by Wesley Ratko
I would like to nominate Maxwell Smart for national security advisor.
Pm Private GIF
ALT: Pm Private GIF
media.tenor.com
March 25, 2025 at 1:32 AM
I would like to nominate Maxwell Smart for national security advisor.
While it’s inspiring to see people peaceful protesting policies and actions they see as unjust, I have to wonder: where were they on Election day? Is this easier than voting?
March 18, 2025 at 12:23 PM
While it’s inspiring to see people peaceful protesting policies and actions they see as unjust, I have to wonder: where were they on Election day? Is this easier than voting?
Why are people horrified by Idaho’s proposal to make the firing squad their method of execution but not horrified by the death penalty overall? The death penalty is barbaric.
March 7, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Why are people horrified by Idaho’s proposal to make the firing squad their method of execution but not horrified by the death penalty overall? The death penalty is barbaric.
I'll be on a panel at #NICAR25 next Saturday March 8 at 11:30 in Grand Portage Ballroom 4.
The panel is titled "Covering transportation with data and docs." I'll be there to talk about exploring the short-term planning document known as the TIP to find regional transportation stories. Join us!
The panel is titled "Covering transportation with data and docs." I'll be there to talk about exploring the short-term planning document known as the TIP to find regional transportation stories. Join us!
February 27, 2025 at 3:49 PM
I'll be on a panel at #NICAR25 next Saturday March 8 at 11:30 in Grand Portage Ballroom 4.
The panel is titled "Covering transportation with data and docs." I'll be there to talk about exploring the short-term planning document known as the TIP to find regional transportation stories. Join us!
The panel is titled "Covering transportation with data and docs." I'll be there to talk about exploring the short-term planning document known as the TIP to find regional transportation stories. Join us!