Chris Trottier

Putting the sauce in awesome! This is my fully-managed family Akkoma + Mangane server.

I primarily talk about the Fediverse, movies, books, photography, video games, music, working out, and general geekiness.

I’m a proud husband and father.

Location: Richmond, BC, Canada

Public Key

npub1e9xty8eww57a3npv2vfl5cel567cd0k4stqu89aa6l0undk0pr8shxmsz2

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsvjn9jruh820wcesk9xyl6vvl6d0vxhm2c9swrj77a0h7fkm8s3ncpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dslw8n4d

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1e9xty8eww57a3npv2vfl5cel567cd0k4stqu89aa6l0undk0pr8shxmsz2

Show more details

Last Notes

2026-06-17 20:41:34 GMT

Great goal by Croatia! England had no chance to save that one!
Well, I may not want them to win but at least Croatia keeps things interesting.
England 1-1 Croatia
#WorldCup #soccer
#note14c5…cn6x

2026-06-17 20:19:50 GMT

I'm cheering for England.
Not because of the Premier League or colonialism or because the #soccer was invented there. I don't even know any of the players on the English team.
Nope, the only reason I'm cheering for England is because I like this song.
https://youtu.be/Re4aDJL3heA
#WorldCup
#note10sp…3djv

2026-06-17 20:13:01 GMT

Currently watching England va. Croatia.
And how did England get two penalty kicks within 12 minutes?!
Croatia saved the first one but not the second.
England 1-0 Croatia
#WorldCup #soccer

2026-06-15 06:50:27 GMT

Wow! 😮
Just discovered classical composer Michael Nyman, and his work is as rock n’ roll as classical ever gets.
He did the film scores to The Piano and Gattaca.
However, In Re Don Giovanni is where things get really rollicking. Almost punk is in its energy.
Which actually makes a lot of sense since Michael Nyman belongs to that branch of classical called “minimalism”, which actually did have profound impact on punk rock.
https://youtu.be/wPLPoYLM_BA

2026-06-10 04:11:47 GMT

There’s always studies about the health benefits of tea but they don’t always give you the full picture.
It is true that green tea is high in catechins, tannins, polyphonels, and antioxidants—and this reduces heart disease risk.
But it’s also true that if you have gastrointestinal sensitivity and acid reflux, green tea can be absolutely brutal for you and a complete no go.
This is why yellow tea is worth exploring. It is similar to green tea but without the acidic edges.
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/other/the-best-tea-for-heart-disease-backed-by-dietitians/ar-AA22k2hI

2026-06-09 16:53:54 GMT

I was right: after big time greed on the stock market, there’s a massive correction.
Yesterday was a dead cat bounce. So far today? S&P has fallen 2.08%, and NASDAQ Composite is down a staggering 3.37%.
We are now strongly back in fear territory. What’s the catalyst for all this?
First, lots of Americans got hired recently. That’s good for the economy but not good for mega-cap tech companies. More jobs mean more people have money which means debt—which they use to fund their operations—won’t be cheap.
The other factor is SpaceX, which is set to have their IPO this week. This adds a mega-cap with a 1.7T valuation to the market. One which institutional investors must buy because a lot of ETFs are passive. So to do this, they’re likely selling off Apple or Amazon in preparation for buying SpaceX.
The question is: how far will this fall further?
https://atomicpoet.org/media/d5542ba6c36f9763738c1e04e09277f4b609b37f63d95bb46da6b2400c6b61b5.jpeg

2026-06-08 21:05:40 GMT

- reply

Apparently, there’s academics like Judith Butler who defines queerness as an action.
That is, to “queer” something means to disrupt, subvert, and challenge dominant social norms.
But this means dismantling traditional patriarchy and heteronormative expectations in his personal life.
That said, I feel under qualified to have an opinion on this since I’m not a member of the LGBTQ+ community except in the sense of being an ally.

2026-06-08 20:54:55 GMT

The other day, I met a cis straight man who claims to be heteroqueer.
He told me that, although he feels no gender dysphoria and is only attracted to women, he’s culturally queer in the sense that he identifies with the LGBTQ+ community.

2026-05-26 01:46:05 GMT

- reply

I’m constantly chasing raccoons out of my yard. They’re hissing at me and all I want is to enjoy a beer.

2026-05-23 16:58:38 GMT

First trying English dust tea without milk and sugar.
Best I can say is it’s tolerable. But if I brewed this for longer than 2 minutes, it would be intolerable.
The key taste is astringency. It’s basically just tannins.
I would rather drink coffee black than drink this tea without milk and sugar.
#note1mmj…c55f

2026-05-23 16:50:29 GMT

So the big question that nobody is asking:
Can I improve English tea dust by brewing it loose leaf in a teapot, putting it in an equalizer—before pouring into a mug?
#note1thu…tntd

2026-05-23 16:40:47 GMT

This is why I have such low expectations for this English tea.
Opening the tin, I immediately see dust.
Not even CTC. Actual dust.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/a4da0936a84a91cdb128bf5839219f55045ecdd81a7c36194cbb8aabcf01b9ce.jpeg
#note1edw…06m0

2026-05-23 16:36:28 GMT

Today’s tea is London Icon Telephone Box black tea by Richmond Tea.
In my quest to drink all the tea in my house, I’m now trying this English tea in a novelty canister that was gifted to me by someone who wanted to share their favourite with me.
I appreciate a gift.
Yet I won’t lie, I’m also dreading this. I am not a fan of so-called English tea—which is really just re-branded Indian or Kenyan tea but not high quality
But I’ll try everything once. Give it an honest opinion—even admit when my expectations were wrong. Which happened two days ago when I tasted North Indian green tea.
So I’ll make this the “honest” way. Put a teaspoon in a clay teapot, brew with boiling hot water for two minutes. But I’m also going to add sugar and milk because no tastebuds should be sacrificed in an experiment for which the expected results are likely.
English tea fans, just remember that I’m trying.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/591c0c230acfb8143f01a8f5cedca233b62a1791c1b134677a30ad2d9b5f9cd6.jpeg

2026-05-21 05:49:08 GMT

I just had to go for a walk because, listen, the stock market is a stress-inducing yo-yo.
NASDAQ Composite fell after hours after Nvidia beat earnings yet again. But then Nikkei 225 is up 4% today.
Stock market is up. Yet bond market is spooked. Call options are higher than puts. McLellan Volume is down.
It is 10:48PM and this is what I’m thinking about.

2026-05-21 01:42:35 GMT

MONTREAL VICTOIRE WIN THE WALTER CUP!!!
First Canadian team to do it!
What a game! What a series! Both teams putting it all out there!
Montréal Victoire 4-0 Ottawa Charge
#PWHL #HNOM #hockey
#note1hhq…tfgw

2026-05-21 01:36:12 GMT

2 minutes left in the gameand empty net for Ottawa Charge!
#PWHL #HNOM #hockey
#note1klk…wr5p

2026-05-21 01:34:05 GMT

Lina Ljungblom seals the deal for Montréal Victoire with a deke in front of the net.
Or it should seal the deal. I’ll eat my hat if Ottawa Charge come back.
Montréal Victoire 4-0 Ottawa Charge
#PWHL #HNOM #hockey
#note1tzd…p3l4

2026-05-21 01:28:51 GMT

OH. MY. GOD.
Bomb from the blue line gets Montréal Victoire their 3rd goal! Maggie Flaherty with the beautiful slap shot!
Ottawa has no answer so far and time is running out!
Montréal Victoire 3-0 Ottawa Charge
#PWHL #HNOM #hockey
#note15ec…p9s7

2026-05-21 01:20:27 GMT

Well, that’s wild!
Short-handed goal from Abby Roque which gets Marie-Philip Poulin out of the penalty box! Jail break!
Less than 10 minutes left! Can Ottawa actually pull a rabbit out of a hat like they did last time? Or are they cooked?!
Montréal Victoire 2-0 Ottawa Charge
#PWHL #HNOM #hockey
#note1fq0…dyzd

2026-05-21 00:45:20 GMT

End of 2nd period.
Game is way more interesting as Ottawa Charge pours on the pressure and just doesn't let up. Montréal Victoire goalie Ann Renée Desbiens has been a wall. But will she break?
Montréal Victoire 1-0 Ottawa Charge
#PWHL #HNOM #hockey
#note12mt…n00z

2026-05-21 00:18:44 GMT

GOOOOOAL!
Montréal Victoire opens up the scoring Abby Roque finding the back of the net. Scored at 4:32 of the 2nd period.
And now Ottawa Charge can't play so conservatively and needs to take more chances.
Montréal Victoire 1-0 Ottawa Charge
#PWHL #HNOM #hockey
#note163w…xkm9

2026-05-20 23:52:41 GMT

Scoreless 1st period.
Neither team is getting shots off, and the shots they do get off are from the back end—so tend to be low quality. Very defensive right now, and I don’t blame them since it’s coming down to the wire.
I’ve locked Ottawa’s chances, though.
Montréal Victoire 0-0 Ottawa Charge
#PWHL #HNOM #hockey
#note1zun…ksy3

2026-05-20 23:01:37 GMT

Game 4 of the #PWHL Finals is happening now!
Montréal Victoire is leading the series 2-1 and are one game away from winning the Walter Cup Finals.
But every game has been close, and Ottawa Charge staved off elimination on Monday. They are a gritty team that never quits.
And I’m doing a live thread today!
#hockey #HNOM

2026-05-20 04:02:55 GMT

- reply

So we need to justify that baby conveyor belt that the Pentagon just purchased.

2026-05-19 01:10:52 GMT

- reply

I totally get it. But winning is never easy. A little adversity is good for the soul.
And how awesome will it be to see women break Canada’s 33-year-old pro hockey curse?

2026-05-19 00:47:54 GMT

That's the game! Ottawa Charge wins! They fight another day!
Montréal Victoire fans, keep your chin up. This wouldn't have been a good day to win the Walter Cup anyway since the Canadiens are playing a Game 7 right now. Your team deserves the main stage and doesn't deserve to be upstaged anyway.
Charge are down by the centre ice, saluting fans. They deserved this win. Every goal was earned.
This has been an epic Walter Cup!
Montréal Victoire 1-2 Ottawa Charge
#PWHL #HNOM #hockey
#note1aa5…lmq8

2026-05-19 00:44:22 GMT

Every single game in the Walter Cup Final has been close as hell and a nail biter!
Now Desbiens goes to the bench for an extra Montréal attacker!
#PWHL #HNOM #hockey
#note1e7n…s8cz

2026-05-19 00:42:46 GMT

WHOOOOOOA!!! 😲
Ottawa just scored with 54.8 seconds left in the third period! Almost gets disallowed by officials but it sticks!
Sarah Wozniewicz gets it in past Montreal Victoire goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens.
Might they actually win this game?!
#PWHL #HNOM #hockey
#note1w5k…lj8h

2026-05-19 00:32:23 GMT

OH! MY! GOD!
Ottawa finally scored with 5:30 left in the 3rd period!
Peyton Hemp bangs it in right off a rebound! She gives the Charge some life!
Montreal Victoire 1-1 Ottawa Charge
#PWHL #HNOM #hockey
#note1xkf…ylr2

2026-05-19 00:30:15 GMT

When I first started talking about #PWHL three years ago, few people gave a damn about pro women's #hockey.
And now we've made a bustling community on the #Fediverse, full of people rooting on the Walter Cup Finals.
However this game goes, remember that.
#note1dhm…z5cl

2026-05-19 00:16:52 GMT

MONTREAL SCORED!
Midway through the 3rd period, Hayley Scamurra finally gets one past Ottawa goalie Gwyneth Philips!
Victoire just over 10 minutes away from glory!
#PWHL #hockey #HNOM
#note1vxk…9c6f

2026-05-18 23:48:45 GMT

End of 3rd period. Still scoreless. Lots of battling but no team has come up lucky.
Montreal Victoire 0-0 Ottawa Charge
#PWHL #hockey
#note1rks…kln3

2026-05-18 22:53:30 GMT

- reply

Exactly. We’re talking about a foot of difference. Each female goalie has to cover more real estate in net. She can’t just butterfly her way through a game.

2026-05-18 22:52:01 GMT

1st period done.
Still scoreless. But each of these goalies are insanely good.
The shots Gwyneth Philip’s faced were wild. As far as I’m concerned, she’s a goalie goddess.
#PWHL #hockey
#note1uk8…tamw

2026-05-18 22:38:12 GMT

Pro female #hockey goalies must be better than male counterparts.
For example, Ottawa Charge goalie Gwyneth Philips has a .955 save percentage.
That’s ungodly performance.
#PWHL
#note1pud…kf0a

2026-05-18 21:59:38 GMT

Got myself set up on the porch for Game 3 of the Walter Cup Finals.
iPad, Diet Dad’s Root Beer, and almonds.
Montréal Victoire vs. Ottawa Charge is coming up. If Victoire win, they take the series and thus the Cup. If Charge win, they play another day. So far, it’s been close!
#PWHL #hockey #HNOM
https://atomicpoet.org/media/70cb83a77a597146f83208b553303641fe6a37b9eaf6fe9d93a0c918f5d46255.jpeg

2026-05-16 05:47:24 GMT

Let's rate all the major Canadian sports leagues.
The major rule is that Canadian-American leagues count *only* if they have a minimum of three Canadian teams. So MLB and NBA don't count. Here goes:
**NHL** – Rating: C
At least small market teams like Winnipeg can exist. However, NHL has done nothing to grow the game in Canada, charges exorbitant prices compared to fans in the USA, and deliberately kneecaps Canadian success.
**PWHL** – Rating: A
This league managed to turn women's pro hockey into a premium product—something that has been tried and failed for decades. The Walter Cup feels prestigious. The merch is great. The broadcasting team has a great presentation. And the on-ice talent is special. The only thing holding it back is that *sometimes* it feels arenas treat teams like 2nd class citizens.
**CFL** – Rating: B
In terms of talent, this is the 2nd best gridiron football league in the world. The live experience is wonderful. In terms of actual games, it is more exciting than the NFL. Excellent broadcasting. And yet, Toronto doesn't give a damn. Management keeps shooting themselves in the foot. And what is up with that new playoff format?
**NLL** – Rating: B+
The absolute best live experience of any pro sports league I've ever had. Great entertainment. Every moment feels like it matters. Teams have a deep connection with communities. I quite like the broadcasting. Lacrosse should be the biggest sport in Canada. However, the marketing is awful, and that leads to teams constantly folding and relocating.
**MLS** – Rating: C-
Nowhere near as "major" of a soccer league as it likes to pretend it is. Two of the teams can easily be beaten by "lower" ranked teams—and have been. The Vancouver Whitecaps, which are the one good time, are likely going to be relocated to the USA despite often selling out the stadium. The only reason I don't rate this lower is because they fund a lot of amateur soccer in Canada.
**CPL** – Rating: C+
Canada's *real* domestic soccer league is actually competitive with MLS despite having a much lower salary cap, issues with broadcasting, problems with venues, and a team that recently folded. That said, things are improving fast. Last year's Final was a classic. International reputation is increased positively. And the World Cup will give it a bump.
**NSL** – Rating: A-
Despite only being a year old, this women's pro soccer league already sells out stadiums. It's actually the 3rd most attended women's soccer league in the world. Has some of the best talent in the world too. Tremendous broadcasting. Great merch. Simply a great product. Currently only has six teams, and I bet it will be better once it expands.
**CEBL** – Rating: B-
This league has so much potential. Already has 10 teams. Major talent that's already as good as European leagues and has crossover with the NBA G League. Becoming more popular each year. The broadcasting is inconsistent, though. Needs better marketing.
**BSL** – Rating: D
The main competitor to the CEBL, but there's not much that's "super" about the Basketball Super League. Hardly anyone knows this exists. No broadcasting or streaming. The only reason this isn't an F is because there's apparently *some* talent here.
**GT20 Canada** – Rating: D+
This one pains me because it actually features international cricket superstars. And there's six teams from across the country. But good luck being able to attend a game or seeing games broadcast or streamed. If you're not an Indo-Canadian, you probably don't even know this league exists.

2026-05-16 00:01:21 GMT

- reply

Such people have no joy in their lives and need to get a hobby instead of being busybodies.

2026-05-15 23:55:54 GMT

- reply

No, I demand that all breakfast foods be served hot and warm! It's the natural order of things.
You go hot breakfast, cold lunch, hot dinner—a cold dessert if dinner didn't do its job.
Upsetting this order is how civilizations begin to collapse.

2026-05-15 23:50:31 GMT

How is Dairy Queen trying to sell ice cream as a thing to eat for breakfast?!
This disturbs me on so many levels.
https://www.dairyqueen.com/en-ca/breakfast-collection/

2026-05-14 01:35:56 GMT

Half-time.
Vancouver Whitecaps are dominating the game. FC Dallas is stuck playing defensively. Lots of flopping around, and much of these injuries sure look suspicious.
FC Dallas 1-2 Vancouver Whitecaps
#MLS #soccer
#note1alc…5ku7

2026-05-14 01:13:28 GMT

Okay, why is Vancouver losing the Whitecaps when we fill our stadium while FC Dallas' stadium is nowhere near full and they get to keep their team?
#MLS #soccer
#note1ssl…ghwt

2026-05-14 01:09:26 GMT

HOT DAMN!
In the 27th minute, FC Dallas gets an own goal—which counts for Vancouver Whitecaps. That's brutal!
Still, it counts. And now Whitecaps are leading!
Dallas FC 1-2 Vancouver Whitecaps
#MLS #soccer
#note152v…kqsy

2026-05-14 01:04:42 GMT

GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAL!
In the 22nd minute, Berhalter scores with a beautiful shot that ricochets off the goalie's hand, into the crossbar, and finally in the net!
We have a tie game!
Dallas FC 1-1 Vancouver Whitecaps
#MLS #soccer
#note1c5u…06a8

2026-05-14 01:03:02 GMT

How has Vancouver had so many chances within the first 20 minutes to tie this up?!
There must have been four corner kicks thus far. None of them have resulted in a shot on goal.
#MLS #soccer
#note1cc4…qkpt

2026-05-14 00:51:52 GMT

Dallas FC score off a penalty kick in the 9th minute!
Vancouver has been showing an ability to make comebacks so this will be entertaining.
Dallas FC 1-0 Vancouver Whitecaps
#MLS #soccer
#note1wgc…jkt5

2026-05-14 00:33:22 GMT

Today, it's FC Dallas vs. Vancouver Whitecaps.
Whitecaps continue on the road because BC Place is being renovated for the World Cup.
I'm cheering on the Whitecaps even though they're likely gone from Vancouver. They are my team. They've been here for longer than I've been alive. It's only fitting to support them to the bitter end.
#MLS #soccer

2026-05-13 17:09:27 GMT

Why is the concept of *social capital* such a hard thing for dudes to understand?
We've seen its effects over and over again, especially regarding gender.
A good example is the loss of prestige for the office secretary position. In the 19th century, this was a prestigious male-dominated job that paid well and was associated with upward advancement.
But once women started dominating the profession in the 1920s, prestige fell. This was accompanied by a fall in pay since the job's perceived feminization resulted in the work being devalued.
Lots of research talks about this. Here's an example:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254952811_Women's_Work_The_Feminization_and_Shifting_Meanings_of_Clerical_Work
#note1wcq…lm04

2026-05-13 17:00:42 GMT

- reply

Actually, secretaries were once paid very well. It was once a prestigious, male-dominated profession. But when women became more prominent, it lost its prestige and pay fell.
This shift didn't happen during your lifetime. It happened during the early 20th century—and it had nothing to do with email or word processing because none of those things had been invented yet.
The fall in pay was *entirely* because the profession became associated with femininity.
Lots of research backs up what I'm saying. Here's one paper. You should read it.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254952811_Women's_Work_The_Feminization_and_Shifting_Meanings_of_Clerical_Work

2026-05-13 06:21:15 GMT

- reply

Because camping plainly doesn’t work.
The enemy of your enemy isn’t necessarily your friend. And just because one camp has a conflict with an entity you don’t like doesn’t mean they’re on your side.
I can personally say from experience using both their products that Microsoft and Google both suck but in vastly different ways, both causing tremendous harm.

2026-05-13 06:13:12 GMT

- reply

No, it isn't. Campism doesn't work.

2026-05-13 05:31:52 GMT

Googlebooks are silly, and they sure as hell don't replace MacBooks.
https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/platforms/android/meet-googlebook/

2026-05-13 00:07:34 GMT

- reply

The position of secretary is actually an interesting case study because it used to be high status position dominated by men, but when women became the majority of the profession, it was therefore deemed low status—and the pay fell drastically.
When secretaries were mostly men, the job was a path to the C-suite. Then when secretaries were mostly women, it became a dead-end job with no opportunity for advancement.

2026-05-12 22:13:25 GMT

Not so long ago, girls were falling behind in school.
So the education system changed to fix the gap. But they overshot so that now the gap has gone in the opposite direction.
The unintended sociological consequence of this is that education itself has become devalued since—I hate that this is true—associations of femininity lowers social prestige among boys.
I’m not saying the answer is to disincentivize academic success amongst women because that’s robbing Petra to feed Paul. But if you want to beyond this zero sum gender trap, you got to deal with the problem of male status.
#note199k…5hff

2026-05-12 21:58:05 GMT

I’ll make this less of a mystery.
Boys are falling behind in school because academic success is associated with femininity, the social mobility is small relative to women, and anti-intellectual currents among men are high.
If you’re low income, a college education puts you into debt. And you can make money quickly by fitting a pipe and swinging a hammer.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/boys-falling-behind-in-school-9.7195214

2026-05-11 20:30:15 GMT

Cosmic Crisp.
The best #apple product of the last decade.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/e47cfc883162a1b0f8caaa51836a66ba86021b1ea251e173bd5bfb12aec33dd8.jpeg

2026-05-10 18:58:52 GMT

I’m at Activate, a lazer arcade, in Langley, BC, Canada.
It’s a lot of fun and a good cardio workout.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/405d9795ac568fd96a408232da615340b972dc71398a86be6686cde8bba8d5bb.jpeg

2026-05-10 03:37:33 GMT

I was 10-years-old when I first heard "Dad, I'm in Jail"—and I've been obsessed with it.
It's simultaneously a punk and a jazz song. But also, hilarious.
It's wild that this band also did the funk hit "Walk the Dinosaur". On the same album too.
I need to find more songs like this because it's so good!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noJo-bJ5V8A

2026-05-10 00:14:45 GMT

You know what women find sexy?
Sacks of rice.
Carry these on your shoulders for a few miles, and she will fall in love with you. Not only is it a feat of strength, it is a delivery of deliciousness.
Yes, I can lift. But more importantly, you’ll never go hungry.

2026-05-09 20:39:05 GMT

Now *this* is the most awful thing ever made.
I hesitate to even call it coffee. Worse than useless. Not even good as a caffeine delivery system.
The only reason to buy this is to gift this to neighbours you dislike. It's the perfect passive-aggressive gesture of hatred.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/d1ec4d3fc0d7a11c1b52883187cfcb0fb0f9fd9ee230ab9b560368a980b25eba.png

2026-05-09 08:12:13 GMT

I know the Fediverse is full of Anti-AI ideologues who will dismiss anything positive from it, but Gemini did something important for me today—and I am grateful.
I asked it about a growth on my nose. It told me:
> A lesion with these characteristics must be evaluated in person by a healthcare professional, preferably a dermatologist, as soon as possible.
So I waited in urgent care today for 5 hours, and was told by a doctor that it is highly likely to be Basal Cell Carcinoma, and I must get a skin biopsy ASAP.
Some people don’t like that this happened but it did—and I’m thankful.
Now to address some questions:
“What if Gemini gave the wrong response?”
It didn’t. It gave the right response, and that’s what matters. It’s not that I trust Gemini—it’s that I needed a psychological push to deal with something difficult.
“If you know something’s off, why don’t you just see a doctor?”
Because I have no family doctor, walk-in clinics don’t accept walk-ins anymore, and urgent care facilities have five hour wait times.
If I’m going to spend five hours somewhere during my daughter’s birthday, it better be something important.
“Why do you trust AI?”
I don’t trust AI—and in this case, even AI knew well enough it was not to be trusted.
However AI is pretty good at providing leads. Not answers. A potential direction for an answer.
To be clear, I’m telling anyone to like AI. I’m not saying you should turn to it for medical advice.
But what I am saying is this, at least today, Gemini helped me.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/97fb2e97f4dcf03a709e18ec7d81bd7e3a78cdad403be1e730fbfbd4b844e47b.png
#note1zky…n0ws

2026-05-07 20:01:38 GMT

Today’s “tea”—actually a tisane—is chrysanthemum.
I’m not drinking this by itself. I’m blending this with Bai Mudan white tea. Using this as a remedy to combat cold symptoms. Hopefully, it alleviates my fever and sore throat.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/b29901fbef61a7f99c63133e459c4cdda9448f717485ccd930b07a32b9e3da4a.jpeg

2026-05-04 03:18:16 GMT

Starbucks wants to sell a $9 cup of coffee.
I, of course, think that’s ridiculous. But someone accused me of being “jealous” because I “can’t afford” the Starbucks “experience”.
It occurs to me that some people can’t understand the difference between value and cost.
So let’s pretend money is no longer a factor, and you can do whatever you want. Would you still go to Starbucks?
Look, I live in a city renowned for great caffeinated beverages.
There’s shops that roast coffee beans on site, measure the grinds on scale, then slowly pour the water with a gooseneck kettle. Accompanied by a crêpe.
There’s hole in the wall diners that serve yeunyeung with a fluffy French toast.
There’s late night banh mi with a dark roast served beautifully through a ca phin delivering beautiful droplets throw a glass with evaporated milk welcoming it on the bottom.
These too are experiences. Ones that I value more. And if you have a little bit of curiosity, you too might realize the world is bigger than American sludge water in a paper cup.

2026-05-04 00:39:55 GMT

- reply

Yep, and I'm an optimist. Last year's CPL Final was a classic. That icicle kick was seen 1 billion times on YouTube.
Folks in Latin America are beginning to tune in. Mexicans specifically love the potential. I've seen multiple Spanish podcasts covering CPL.
What needs to happen is more Canadian media buy-in. Which is going to be tough because you know Rogers and MLSE will do their damnedest to lock out everything not related to the "major league" Toronto market—if they could.
But this is why I'm boosting domestic leagues. Frankly, it's ridiculous that Canadians believe American leagues validate our sporting culture. Which is so damn ridiculous.

2026-05-04 00:20:20 GMT

- reply

Actually, CPL is Tier 1. Right now, there's no Tier 2. However, there have been players that have graduated from BCPL to CPL, and they've apparently done well.
There is talk about a Tier 2 league but CPL doesn't have stability yet. I strongly suspect FIFA will push for one because CONCACAF needs Canada to be competitive with USA and Mexico.

2026-05-03 23:38:27 GMT

- reply

Yeah, last week, federal government made a big deal about $10M in funding for soccer. But that pales in comparison to how much the Whitecaps invest in local academies.
That said, I don't think WFC2 were ever going to be viable long term. And that's because MLS made a huge tactical mistake when they decided to spin out MLS Next Pro to compete with USL.
Think about how silly it is. Let's say USL Premier never reaches the level of MLS—unlikely since USL is going pro-rel. The average player wants some sort of progression and that's what USL provides, which MLS Next Pro doesn't.
Anyway, this could end up having upside potential for CPL. Because not only are 70% of CPL players Canadian, but talented Latin American and African players see CPL as a good path forward for their careers.
The missing piece of course, is a Tier 2 Canadian pro league—which isn't even in the planning stages yet.

2026-05-03 23:19:36 GMT

- reply

The problem is, most Vancouverites don't even know Vancouver FC exists. They play all the way in the suburbs in an area hard to access by mass transit. If not for the Voyageurs Cup and the CONCACAF Champions League, they'd be less known.
I highly suspect things will change after the Whitecaps leave, though I sure as hell am not happy about that.

2026-05-03 23:09:35 GMT

I had to stop watching the #NLLplayoffs to catch this Vancouver FC vs. Pacific FC game.
But when I was watching it, San Diego Seals were kicking Toronto Rock's ass.
It's a low scoring game but things can change very quickly because, in lacrosse, games often explode like a firecracker.

2026-04-25 20:30:52 GMT

I just realized TSN broadcasts AFL, the pro Aussie Rules Football league.
I’ve never seen an Aussie Rules Football game.

2026-04-24 08:31:15 GMT

Don’t even know what’s going on with right wing Gen Z dudes and their fetish with male beauty.
It seems very gay.
Because it’s not “look good for women”. It’s “look good for men but specifically men who are obsessed with attractive men.”
But then again, gay men—at least the ones out of the closet—have a clear pay off for being attractive to other men: sex.
This looksmaxxing thing has so much pent-up frustration but nowhere to go, when are they just going to start dating each other already?

2026-04-16 06:47:37 GMT

The history of Great Britain and Ireland is confusing as hell, and I feel like I have to be drunk to understand it.
So are you ready to be thrown a curveball?
From across the sea came the Irish—known at the time as the Scoti—which is already confusing, because despite the name eventually giving us “Scotland,” these guys were, very much, Irish. Not a little Irish. Completely Irish.
Anyway, the Scoti show up, presumably after a few celebratory drinks and the bold decision that invading another island seemed like a great idea.
Meanwhile, in the north, the Picts are already there—tattooed, blue, and with a love of nudity.
Fearing this, the Romano-Brits—that is Romanized Celts—hired the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes over to deal with the Irish.
But when these Germanic tribes showed up, they were like, "I like it here. This so much better than the swamps we have to farm. And since these Celts are skipping out on paying us, let's just stay and not go home."
And this resulted in England becoming a thing.

2026-04-16 02:02:45 GMT

My question to all of you:
What was the best CanCon song of the 80s?
#note1nw8…8k8p

2026-04-16 02:01:27 GMT

Okay, I'm taking a break from my exploration of Canadian Gen X music.
Dinner is calling. And afterwards, I need to go to the gym.
Looks like I'll continue this tomorrow when we'll delve deeper into the 90s—which was truly the golden age of CanCon.
#note1u2w…jpjp

2026-04-16 01:45:38 GMT

Is Tom Green just a flash-in-the-pan gross out comedian?
Not in Canada. Over here, he started out as a famous rapper known as MC Bones, a part of hip hop group Organized Rhyme. And they were no joke—they were nominated for a Juno.
Organized Rhyme knew they were no gangsters. So instead they leaned into their Ottawa roots. This was during a time when most Canadian rap came out of Toronto.
"Check the O.R." was the group's lead off single. They introduced a highly self-aware, suburban, and overtly comedic approach to Canadian rap that showed hip hop could embrace suburban goofiness.
https://youtu.be/ZV7aOnX7XeE
#note1rs2…qrrc

2026-04-15 08:28:15 GMT

Someone just described what it’s like to take salvia.
Basically, even though the effects only last for minutes, it feels like you’re an inanimate object forever because drugs mess with your sense of time.
That sounds horrifying and I’m grateful for my sobriety.

2026-04-13 07:13:31 GMT

Multiple people "reported" me for this post showing a screenshot of Donald Trump literally comparing himself to Jesus Christ.
First off, that report ultimately goes to me—the owner of my instance. There is no higher authority on atomicpoet.org than me. Which is by design.
Supposedly, the issue is that you didn't "consent" to seeing a post about Trump. But nobody "consents" prior to a post going public. That's not how social media works. There's no Fediverse Authority to decide which posts publicly hit the federated timeline.
Even so, I firmly believe there are things that need to be seen—whether people like it or not. And one of them is that Donald Trump literally put up an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus, in a white robe and red cloak, surrounded by worshippers. One of them is praying to him.
If this offends you, good. It should. It offends me too. Everyone should be offended. If you're religious in any way—Christian or otherwise—you should react with profound distaste. And if you're an atheist, yeah, you should *also* be offended. This should be a universally offensive thing.
I therefore refuse to hide that image behind a content warning because, yeah, everyone needs to know it exists.
#note1v5v…vcug

2026-04-11 18:16:28 GMT

- reply

I’m just impressed you still have a BBC Micro.

2026-04-11 02:31:01 GMT

The lowest rung of pro hockey in North America is Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey.
It is a league with teams exclusively in Québec. And it is notorious for its many goons and fisticuffs.
I am dying to watch a game and see how the league stacks up against the FPHL (a.k.a., "The Fed") which is the lowest run of pro hockey in the USA.

2026-03-13 00:09:11 GMT

Who wants a free Steam game?
I'm giving away Yoku's Island Express, *the* greatest pinball metroidvania ever made—which has a 96% positive rating.
Message me, and I will DM you a Steam key code!

2026-03-07 19:30:17 GMT

At first, I was excited about a Tux-themed FPS where the goal is to save penguins.
But Tuxocide is genuinely the worst FPS I've ever played.
There's no health---you cannot die. All the environments are the same. There's no sound. You cannot even go full screen.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/3ac6ef74664af062a5648a3a2dd8cb26d3f9d129d589603afbf6541f58576c3a.png

2026-02-13 21:14:37 GMT

Currently in a movie theatre to watch Iron Lung.
Promos just started. I am literally the only person here. It is totally empty except me.
Oh well. The movies already a success. I’m just doing my part to support indie films that are about indie games.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/52ae55fb951d82cb71539a66d235008e350e6fee816b46cdcfa0e69d2cf7f926.jpeg

2026-02-10 22:46:01 GMT

- reply

Depends what you mean by “high end”. Borderlands 4 and Baldur’s Gate III are playable on a Steam Deck. Are they playable on ultra settings? No.
This is true for consoles as well. A PS5 can’t do what an RTX 5090 does, it can’t even do what my 3090 does.
However, and this is the point I’m making, AAA titles are actually outliers. Most people are playing old games or indies. Half-Life and Balatro are absolutely playable on a thrift store machine.

2026-02-06 20:18:16 GMT

You know what's the craziest aspect of this tech review?
There's a white cochin chicken in the frame here. That's a backyard bird with status. They're not for eating.
The director thought, "Let's get a shot of you squatting near a white cochin because, yeah, this is a great opportunity to show off a handheld."
https://atomicpoet.org/media/7c3badf124e06c1a7d5fa4a1eb5b753376dca3f30acef919999f298137fe361d.png
#note16he…yr6m

2026-01-29 06:54:22 GMT

- reply

Europeans don’t comment on Canadian political threads.

2026-01-29 06:01:32 GMT

REMINDER TO AMERICANS:
In Canada, Liberals and Conservatives are political parties. As in, that’s their name. They’re not Democrats and Republicans. They are literally Liberals and Conservatives.
And no, Liberals and Conservatives are not equal to Democrats and Republicans.
Our Conservatives are like your Democrats. And our Liberals are like a whole party full of Bernie Sanders. And our actual left-wing party—who actually loves unions—are known as New Democrats.
We also have more parties. Because multi-polarity is a good thing in a functioning democracy.

2026-01-29 05:44:47 GMT

It's embarrassing when Americans go, "What about Russian propaganda?" when I point out that Alberta separatism is an American psy-ops campaign.
When Alberta separatists meet with Putin officials, I will bang the drum. But right now, they are meeting with Trump officials.
I'm not making this up. Many credible sources are pointing this out:
https://www.junonews.com/p/alberta-separatists-tout-us-meetings
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/01/24/us-seeks-to-use-alberta-to-destabilize-canada_6749765_4.html
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/alberta-separatists-boast-cabinet-level-140128253.html

2026-01-20 00:34:58 GMT

Brought up Dwight Yoakam in a casual conversation at Tim Hortons.
And this random lady pipes up, “And the best thing about him, his jeans!”
Which was followed by a boy yelling, “Grandma!”

2026-01-19 20:31:25 GMT

Social media algorithms are so insidious.
I'm not going to listen to a dude complain about women.
Am I going to hear a woman complain about women? Sure, because my wife does that all the time.
Algorithms know that so they send me content where women complain about women—then say that the entire female gender is the problem. And then these woman go on and on about how men have been wronged.
After awhile I go, "Hold on. These women can't actually be making these videos for other women. They're clearly only expressing these feelings to validate angry men."
And I say this because everything they're saying is absurd. Nobody with a functioning brain can believe any of it. It's all too primed for outrage culture to be something anyone genuinely thinks.

2026-01-19 18:43:46 GMT

- reply

The Korean Desktop Environment.

2026-01-19 17:23:57 GMT

Koreans have successfully claimed an entire letter of the alphabet:
K-pop. K-dramas. K-beauty.
It’s at the point where the letter “K” is simply theirs.

2026-01-19 15:53:59 GMT

- reply

It is true that smaller DOS games get lost through the cracks. However, PC is generally a bigger audience. And for games that make it big on PC, they make it very big. We only need to look at Doom and StarCraft as examples.
I have a different theory on why DOS games aren’t talked about as much in retro circles. Pretty much, it’s because it’s driven by nostalgia. And what’s more nostalgic than anything? Childhood.
Nintendo dominates childhoods. SEGA, Sony, and PC does not.
Oh, games on those platforms sell more than Nintendo games. But they sell to teenagers and adults rather than children.
This is why Nintendo 64 dominates discussions about Gen 5 even though it didn’t sell well and had a small library.
Another factor: Nintendo actively markets its back catalog and sells it to its fanbase. Meanwhile, EA and Microsoft mostly ignore theirs.

2026-01-19 15:19:38 GMT

Never thought I would say this, but Star Wars is actually a good analogy for what’s going on with the USA right now:
The conflict is whether they’re an Empire or Republic. They can be one or the other. But not both.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/what-does-donald-trump-actually-want-from-canada-heres-what-experts-say/

2026-01-19 07:35:42 GMT

Let me take a moment and talk about the best games I played this week.
Mr. Run and Jump (2023) – a hard-as-nails precision platformer that demonstrates Atari still has it.
Golden Axe III (1993) – the best game in the series and a great beat-‘em-up.
Legend of Heroes (2026) – a stunning JRPG, captivating story, and one of the best series ever.
Ghetto Zombies: Graffiti Squad (2026) – an excellent top-down shooter—and you get to tag buildings!
Bright Memory Infinite – the lovechild of Far Cry and Shadow Warrior, an FPS with a sword.
Season Match 3: Curse of the Witch Crow – tremendous puzzler with a winter theme with great levels.
SiN: Gold (1998) – a true FPS classic with beautiful low poly graphics and lots of gunplay.
Phantasy Star II (1989) – the first great 16-bit JRPG, and still one of the best, with an impressive world.
Choo-Choo Charles (2022) – one of the most bizarre survival horrors I’ve ever played, and the only one where I fight an evil spider train.
Moving Simulator (2026) – I get to move people from house to house, packing up their stuff, driving a truck.

2026-01-19 02:09:55 GMT

About to have some Asianized Western food at Hazukido Café Plus.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/15bd552f858d1e08324a6a8a9dcc515518c7dee2eb360f9027714c203857e8e5.jpeg

2026-01-19 01:10:20 GMT

Here’s why DOS is so important to retro gaming.
If you look at the library of all Nintendo consoles in the 20th century:
* NES: 1,616 games
* SNES: 1,281 games
* Nintendo 64: 388 games
* Game Boy: 851 games
* Game Boy Color: 720 games
* Virtual Boy: 24 games
TOTAL: 4,880 games.
Now that’s a lot of games. But remember, that’s 7 unique platforms. With the exception of the Game Boy Color being backwards compatible with the Game Boy, these games can’t be played across devices.
Meanwhile, what is DOS library? 8,382 games. And this is just what we know about, because so many shareware titles have been lost to time.
That is to say, DOS alone is nearly *twice* the size of all Nintendo consoles’ libraries combined.
And these DOS games are not insignificant. Many of them weren’t released on consoles. Titles such as Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, Ultima VII: The Black Gate, and Rise of the Triad.
A lot of important publishers got conquered on DOS before they made their way to consoles: id, Epic, Ubisoft—among others.
DOS seems pretty damn important. Yet retro gaming channels on YouTube rarely talk about DOS games. And trust me, I’ve looked.
It’s important to talk about this because video games are the face of culture now. In 50 years, that’s how the next generations are going to remember us by.
Take Jimmy Connors Pro Tennis Tour on DOS. It’s an above average game, as good as anything on Genesis or SNES. Published by Ubisoft. At the time of release, it was beloved.
No one talks about it anymore.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/87a70972f77fe8603254ef7462106420dc6b662d7c67b4f335efadc7a9a9192c.png

2026-01-18 23:39:49 GMT

- reply

Yeah, they're so good!

2026-01-18 23:30:08 GMT

One of the funniest memes I've seen recently are black women saying, "White boys. Enough with the podcast. Pick up a guitar and get in the garage. I need my emo/garage band shit back."
I'm guilty of that.
Over the past few years, I've dabbled in podcasts. Abandoned them. Stopped making music.
But to be fair, I also think rock music could do with a bit more representation. I'm tired of white men being the face of rock.
When I grew up, it wasn't that way. We had Little Richard and Tina Turner on TV. And they were inspirations. Something that left a big impression on my childhood.
Then rock music became homogenous.
But for a brief moment in the 2000s, rock became more diverse. We had Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Also, Kele Okereke from Bloc Party. Hell, TV on the Radio was the most exciting band I've ever heard, and they were mostly Black dudes from Brooklyn.
And one of the most underrated singers back then? Tahita Bulmer from Alphawave, Blue States, and New Young Pony Club. What a force. First time I ever saw her, I was like, "This woman has *it*!"
Is there anything more sexy than her performance of "Ice Cream"?
So I agree. The podcasts need to stop. We all need to pick up guitars again.
But also, maybe we should have more estrogen and melanin content too.
https://youtu.be/-shACMaxUb0

2026-01-18 23:16:48 GMT

What if the White Stripes wore orange and white, and were way more funky?
Behold, the Bad Actors!
And they are the best music discovery I've made in a year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39QJCZpN-HM

2026-01-18 21:42:43 GMT

So now the American ambassador to Iceland is “joking” about making Iceland the 52nd state.
Yeah, the threats to *take* Canada started as a “joke” too. Then it stopped being a joke. Which makes me suspect the ambassador wasn’t actually joking.
At this point the trend is obvious. The USA is normalizing conquest talk toward countries to its north. One “joke” at a time.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/15/anger-iceland-incoming-us-ambassador-52nd-state-joke
#note1dsv…c5vw

2026-01-18 21:36:01 GMT

I’m not Québécois, but I have family in Montréal.
And even the most ardent Québécois nationalists have suddenly become defenders of Canada.
Because while they may not love Canada, the idea of American annexation thrills them even less. If they have to choose between Canada and the USA, they’ll choose Canada.
Why? Because they’ve seen what happened to Louisiana. It once had a thriving Francophone culture. Now Creoles and Cajuns have been pushed into assimilation.
Look at what’s happening to American Spanish, too. It was spoken across Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and more, long before English became standard. It’s no accident that ICE targets Spanish speakers, even when their families have been in the USA for generations.
Meanwhile, in Canada, French is a co-official language. Québécois have preserved their culture. That’s not something likely to survive an American annexation.
#note1yvh…ldzd