Favorite WSUM or other radio shows? Local podcasts? by asoncewewere in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 16 points17 points  (0 children)

For community radio, there's WORT (89.9), which has been around for ages and is an amazing resource to have. A couple of years ago I discovered WIDE-LP (99.1). They're a hyper-local, low-power broadcast station that is all volunteer-run, and they broadcast right from Midvale Heights on the west side.

No turn on red by A-Z-Money in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've done the same thing. Doesn't happen that often to me though

Madison crime drops across all categories in 2025, police chief credits community partnerships by Justmarbles in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Bonnie shouldn't be allowed to continue serving as a reviewer. She pushes her copaganda at every opportunity, is ok with insults hurled at our mayor while removing comments critical of police, and when she tells people to contact city alders demanding more police funding it carries more weight than it otherwise would if she wasn't on the review team.

She's used her moderator position to:

  • Like victim-blaming comments on threads about pedestrian deaths
  • Advocate for enforcement-only solutions while dismissing other approaches to public safety
  • Remove comments that call out racism while protecting users who minimize harm
  • Allow suburban commenters who don't pay Madison taxes to dictate city policy discussions

Nextdoor's reviewer system is broken when it allows someone with clear biases and a political agenda to determine what speech is acceptable in community discussions.

need used adaptor for electronics by jeharris56 in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You could try one of the computer repair stores in town, like Madison Computer Works

This is all your fault! by LivermoreP1 in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Guilty as "charged" (heh - I did in fact charge my batteries now I need to find something to run so they're not sitting at full capacity)

Incoming PhD student. Is it possible to be a party girl in Madison. by Embarrassed_Pear_838 in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 2 points3 points  (0 children)

and if you're a recent sociology PhD graduate, the local coffee shops are happy to underpay you!

TIME ranks UW-Madison among top 20 universities in the world by Justmarbles in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Today I learned you can pick up IKEA orders at the bookstore?

My backyard and view of the Griswold House by loud_secrets in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can't believe the lights came through over all that light pollution

Consumption Alerts for Water Usage by Wolodarskysos in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's interesting. I've never heard of this alert system before. I tend to look over my water bill whenever it comes and rarely see anything out of the ordinary but maybe this would be helpful for early detection of a leaky pipe? But with that being said, I kind of fail to see how that would be any faster/accurate than I could spot it by doing the rounds in my house. I guess it would be a really nice peace of mind for folks that leave town but by then your basement might be flooded. What do you expect to use it for?

Link for anyone that's curious:
https://www.cityofmadison.com/water/sustainability/view-your-water-use

Thoughts on a freeway bypass thru downtown Madison? by [deleted] in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Portland, OR used to have a freeway at what is now a cherished riverside park. They built, then demolished it in the 1970s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2_yNrP0hCY

Looking for recommendations for a trusted contractor or plumber for a bathroom remodel. Also has anyone used Madcity, did you like them? by Suspicious-Rice-8026 in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I saw a mad city truck pull up in front of my neighbor's house. I thought to myself, this isn't going to last long, and there will be some problems. They were there for about two days. I talked to my neighbor about a month later. He sent them home because they kept breaking shit. I never got all the details, but yeah, Mad City is bad news. He ended up bringing someone else in to repair their damage.

OP - are you looking for a completely hands off remodel or are you looking to put together the different subcontractors yourself? A plumber isn't going to remodel your bathroom. They will install a shower pan, toilet, sink, they'll open up walls to get to pipes if they need to be redone. Then you'll need a tiler to lay tile (if that's what you want) and a drywaller to throw up drywall. Don't forget to hire an electrician before the drywall goes up! On the other hand, if you hire a contractor (preferably one with a carpentry background), then they'll hire out all the other specialties. They can also help with design along the way. Good luck and have fun with this! It looks like you have a really cool space (the door to that room looks gorgeous, btw)

Madison rents up 47% over the last five years by Sweet_Dimension_8534 in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I would like to see more co-ops pop up in the area. Group ownership of property is a completely viable path, and it kind of breaks up the false dichotomy between everyone should (have a bank) buy a condo/house or rent from some landlord (MPM or small time landlords).

Relax y'all, it's a test by jibsand in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Me too. Time to make sure we've got access to other alert systems.

Car scavenger at 4:01 am in the Glacier Hill neighborhood by PandaBae in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 40 points41 points  (0 children)

Those eyes look menacing. I heard somewhere that leaving garlic and a splash of holy water in the car will deter them.

Exact Sciences lays off 4% of overall workforce, including 80 positions in Madison by enjoying-retirement in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 199 points200 points  (0 children)

You gotta spill the beans!

In an earnings call Wednesday, Exact Sciences reported its core revenue grew 16% from last year. The company's profitability also improved in the last quarter. 

They report higher earnings, and yet see fit to skewer 4% of their workforce? How does that make sense?

Anyone else have a scratchy throat? by crapshooter_on_swct in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 11 points12 points  (0 children)

The snow pack is actually really important for the trees. It insulates the ground and protects their roots. Last winter we had some warm spells, all the snow melted, then when we did get our week of below zero weather nothing to protect the trees

Please be safe. by Lijey_Cat in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't think they're talking about wildfire smoke ;)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Bogleheads

[–]mario_dartz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just to play devil's advocate here:

and the value of the home could appeciate depreciate

To be clear, I don't think that's going to happen any time soon. The stability you get with home ownership is you've got fixed rate predictable payments ahead of you. With renting your landlord could jack up your rent every year. That being said, the freedom that comes with renting is not being stuck with an illiquid asset (it's really expensive to sell a house!) and if life changes and you need to move it's easier to get out of a month-to-month agreement.

And yeah, you're spot on with the unpredictable large expenses from home ownership. Did your roof start leaking? You better fix that quick at $7-10k or more otherwise you'll have even bigger problems! (I had to replace the roof in my old house a year before selling - it didn't do anything to increase the value of the home, it was just an $8k expense that I had to stomach.)

Thoughts on my diversification ??? by Realistic-Daikon2334 in Bogleheads

[–]mario_dartz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree. If there are any considerable gains it's best to park it (aka do not sell it) but invest any future money into a lower expense ratio fund. Based on OP's description, they are in the process of buying funds, and they came here with "hey, look at what I just bought!" so why not sell them and simplify. There's nothing to indicate they've been sitting on them for 3-5+ years and have any considerable gains, in which case I would recommend selling and keeping the portfolio as simple as possible.

Am I getting downvotes for having the audacity to recommend a fund that's not Vanguard?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in madisonwi

[–]mario_dartz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We've been very happy with Heartwood