Jonathan Mertzig

As an avowed fish sandwich-enjoyer, I very much appreciated this article, even in spite of living somewhat out of range for most of these options... nice to have notes for my next visit to Greater Milwaukee though. 🎣

If they want me back they have to go fully Woke 2, sorry. Whole hog. I gotta be able to get an abortion there

Looking forward to the “voluntary” ClaudeCode seminars I got coming up. 🙃

Perhaps it’s to overcompensate for how many times they’d have to say “OPE!” if they did notice they were bumping into people. You’d just be hearing it nonstop on the average upper Midwest bus ride. 😂

I just learned that Ayatollah Khamenei and Ayatollah Khomenei are not the same person. Here's my plan for regime change in Iran....(1/23)

The “Just Walk Out” meme from Da Share Zone but it’s about DSA.

Joined what I thought was a focused DSA list and I fear it’s actually a front for frantic “omnicause” organizing… quickly remembering why I’m a “paper member” 🥀

✅Backpacks in middle of the aisle, straps out as tripwires
✅Standee not holding on to anything = human projectile
✅Person sneezing on everyone because they can’t put their phone down
✅ Guy with giant bag smacking everyone as he moves.

Playing all the hits this morning. 😫

Madisonians learn how to conduct themselves in a crowded transit vehicle Challenge: IMPOSSIBLE. 🚌

Oh hey, just heard a mention of Mirror Black, the most famous band to ever have practiced in one of my apartments. 🤘 (attn: @theonetruematt.bsky.social )

Quote from Washington Times editorial board "[Radical liberals] don't realize that, when they express contempt for the man who holds the country's highest office, they reveal their contempt for the Americans who put him there."

Uh no...we definitely realize it.

And this was in a very car-centric by German standards area (we toured a car factory and rode on the Autobahn frequently!)—there was still extensive transit, walkable shops, intercity rail, safe bike routes. Things disappearing at home. It all ended up deeply informing my early “urbanist” view. /end

But in this timeframe, I participated in 2 exchange trips to Germany, living in a exurban small town—still well connected—and then a very “urbanist” small city, with visits to much larger cities. Got to see the hollowing out by cars of my town wasn’t a natural state of affairs… 4/…

As my town pivoted to cars, a recent acclaimed downtown revitalization started to falter within a decade of its initial success. “Planning” put new homes, schools, shops mostly on a disconnected fringe. The walkable grocer (one of my first jobs) was replaced by one where there were no sidewalks. 3/

My mom who used to carpool or take transit eventually needed to drive to work, requiring a second car (at least it was reasonably affordable in the booming 90s), which also meant errands that were trip chained with a single car or via transit became driving trips. 2/…

Grew up in a walk- & bikeable small town with transit service to our nearest “big city,” which had a pedestrianized downtown corridor. Watched big box mania and suburbanization fueled by “regional planning” edicts turn it all into a car-centric sprawlscape by the time I reached high school age. 1/…

We should measure the number of deaths in units of Benghazi, when the GOP made it a big deal that 4 people were killed.

We’re now up to 1.5 Benghazi’s in like 3 days

The leadership of the US does not reflect the people of that country. Pretty clear in protests you’ve seen from Portland to Minneapolis.

People complain that all new buildings look the same and then complain when someone tries to build old-timey jukebox apartments

To prove you’re not a robot, please select all the Mar-a-lago SCIFs

Transportation: MCTS Will Redesign Bus Network Facing continuing budget deficits, transit system plans another redesign of service network.

While it’s a little surprising, it does make a lot of sense to do another redesign of the system with the current future budget outlook for MCTS. Cutting frequency and shortening routes every few months is not sustainable in any way.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Joe Rogan’s studio looks like the black lodge

big respect for the people who think it’s in Ohio

this is why we keep having this discourse, because the ratfuckers keep trying to make this asshole happen

feeling compelled to post this new yorker reject from years ago, for some reason

you are literally the one guy who isn't allowed to complain about this

Meer Rants: February 2026 Edition USL's Tormenta problem, and why this never should have happened.

Just before the end of the month, out comes the February 2026 edition of Meer Rants, in which I ask: why did USL let Tormenta wait to withdraw from the league?

Among the reasons why I always bring a bigger suitcase for any trips to the Bay Area. 🛍️🧳

My god, I can't even begin to imagine the levels of Boomer meltdown that a certain local Italian restaurant's closing must be bringing out. 🍝 When Paisan's closed, the local facebook/reddit/nextdoor scene was absolutely unhinged about it. 😂

Apparently there's one in Wisconsin now... in Kenosha, which seems like an odd choice. 🤷‍♂️

I am a tremendous Daiso fan, and wish we had one near here so I can quit my habit of filling my suitcase with weird housewares whenever I travel to a city that has one.