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

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npub1e9xty8eww57a3npv2vfl5cel567cd0k4stqu89aa6l0undk0pr8shxmsz2

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[email protected]

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nprofile1qqsvjn9jruh820wcesk9xyl6vvl6d0vxhm2c9swrj77a0h7fkm8s3ncpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dslw8n4d

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relay.damus.io

nos.lol

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npub1e9xty8eww57a3npv2vfl5cel567cd0k4stqu89aa6l0undk0pr8shxmsz2

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Last Notes

2026-09-05 20:35:16 GMT

I’m convinced performative liberalism on social media helped wreck the American Left.
Republicans figured out that a lot of people don’t actually want the fight. They want the dopamine hit of looking like they’re fighting.
They post, they grandstand, they get to feel righteous for five minutes, and there’s the dopamine rush they came for.
And once people got that dopamine from a screen, they had less reason to get out in the street and demand actual change.

2026-09-01 17:33:46 GMT

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I mean, what’s the alternative? The NDP leader isn’t even an MP yet, and the Conservative Party is full of traitors who want Canada to be the 51st state.
Sometimes you have to pick the lesser evil in order to fight the great evil.
Especially with American officials now openly pushing for annexation.

2026-09-01 17:23:48 GMT

Never voted Liberal in my life—until last election.
I have absolutely no love for the Liberal Party. I loathe Justin Trudeau.
But every damn day, I’m glad I parked my vote with Carney, because he’s doing the one thing I wanted him to do: stand up to Trump instead of rolling over for him.
That alone was worth the vote.

2026-08-26 03:03:01 GMT

If you have a 5.1 surround system, you owe it to yourself to hear this mix of “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica.
Turn it up enough to let the dynamics work.
That quiet-to-loud swing is important in surround because the soft parts leave space around the room, then the drums, guitars, and orchestra can hit from 5 directions with real weight.
https://youtu.be/9l9aU7YPhbA

2026-08-24 22:37:25 GMT

Trump keeps calling Mark Carney our “Governor”.
Which is cute because Canada already has one: Her Excellency the Right Honourable Louise Arbour.
Carney is but a minister—sure, a prime one—but a minister nonetheless.
If Trump’s got a beef with how Canada is run, maybe he should go bang on the right damn door.

2026-08-18 17:01:50 GMT

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Yeah, that's the cave.

2026-08-18 16:51:16 GMT

Well, I just saw something rotten.
A VR game where a guy crawls into a cave, gets stuck, and dies there.
Nope, I don't like this at all.
Too tight. Can’t turn. Can’t back out. Rock on your chest. Rock on your ass. Nothing but dirt and your own stupid breathing.
Now my nerves are buzzing like flies.
I need brain bleach. I need grass, wind, sky. A big dumb meadow with NOTHING over my head.
And spelunking? Forget it. Earth can keep its holes.

2026-08-14 21:29:50 GMT

Linux is the best way to play Windows games.
10 years ago, if you told me that, I’d assume you were smoking sweet copium out behind the server room.
But look at this.
*Marine Heavy Gunner: Vietnam*. Windows-only. Released in 2004. Go digging through old forums and you’ll find people wrestling with the damn thing on modern Windows.
Linux?
Mount disc. Open Lutris. Add game. Wine runner. Hit the installer.
Bang. We’re in Vietnam.
That’s what gets me. No console port. No Mac version. Your choices are: resurrect an ancient PC, start fist-fighting Windows 11, or let Linux calmly swallow a 22-year-old Windows game and spit it back out running.
Baby, I like easy.
As for the game?
It's cheap, loud, dumb, and fun.
It’s neither *Half-Life* nor *Halo* but it *is* a budget Unreal Engine 2 shooter with a machine gun in its teeth.
Sometimes that’s exactly what I want.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/7f2baa19921f19ef41242bdb3667a59e93118d25b17e61ca043b2fcbfd104976.png
https://atomicpoet.org/media/83759113d236624b66a2cd1bf78da8da742f9a9f60ebe66575598ea9d0eca880.png
https://atomicpoet.org/media/30639b0cbafb7aa3e6c9f52f08e8dee2bb7be0cf20545a17e195368d42133d34.png
https://atomicpoet.org/media/364f16a31c8dfc34d5708e886e59b4f270637a6c7535057d475e600f15f4fb01.png

2026-08-14 18:13:24 GMT

I'm convinced the AI detection industry is a scam.
I input my handwritten text into GPTZero. Verdict: 100% AI-generated.
Intriguing.
Then I pasted the exact same text into Grammarly. Verdict: 0% AI-generated.
So GPTZero is garbage and Grammarly has cracked the case, right?
NOPE.
Run the same text through a few more detectors and suddenly everybody’s throwing darts.
10% AI.
25% AI.
65% AI.
100% AI.
At this point, it's less detection and more like shaking a Magic 8-Ball.
I brought this up at a conference about fighting AI slop. The speaker agreed the tools are unreliable, but still insisted there’s some kernel of truth buried in there somewhere. And I just don't buy it.
Trying to sniff out AI from prose alone turns people into nervous little language cops inspecting punctuation for contraband.
Look! An em-dash!
GET HIM!
Maybe stop hunting for mystical AI fingerprints and ask the simpler question:
Is there actually a human being here?
Because humanity is easier to detect.

2026-08-12 01:29:45 GMT

Just bought something truly stunning.
But first, a question:
What if everything you knew about cassettes was wrong?
Listen to the armchair audiophile long enough and he’ll tell you tape is garbage. Hiss. Mud. Cheap plastic crap your dad kept rattling around under the passenger seat.
Vinyl, meanwhile, is holy.
Baby, no.
By the late ’80s, cassette technology had become a beautiful little monster. And sitting in front of me is one of its last great mutations: the Sony TC-WR901ES, released in 1993.
Inside this black slab is Dolby S.
This was Dolby’s final noise-reduction system for analog tape. B came first. Then C. Then S arrived at the funeral wearing a leather jacket.
With the right deck and tape—especially metal—Dolby S—which pushes this deck to an 83 dB signal-to-noise ratio. No hiss. Analog sound that could absolutely make vinyl sweat.
Near-CD quality.
From a cassette.
So why doesn’t everybody remember this?
Because Dolby S showed up while CD was already eating tape alive.
CD didn’t need rewinding. Didn’t need flipping. Didn’t get chewed into magnetic spaghetti. You could play an entire album uninterrupted and jump straight to track seven without sitting there holding FAST FORWARD like some laboratory ape waiting for a pellet.
And recording?
Sony had DAT.
Digital Audio Tape.
Another little black coffin, except this one had digits inside.
There were even prerecorded Dolby S cassettes. Not many. Beautiful things. Engineering pushed almost obscenely far for a format already being marched toward the grave.
That’s what I love about this deck.
It comes from that delicious moment when the corpse hadn’t been informed it was dead yet.
And this particular corpse?
Around $1,200 on eBay.
I paid $40.
It’s unserviced. Needs a little work.
Fine by me.
Forty bucks for a dead format’s last dirty trick.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/7cf83305a5bbd3391bd74c03d6fc9e3d108cfa4f4db5c60a37e7b2b54c52d14c.jpeg

2026-08-10 03:02:38 GMT

Someone told me my posts attract a lot of toxicity.
What’s hilarious is that I didn’t know this.
Those toxic replies simply don’t show up on my timeline. So I’m oblivious. I have no idea what toxic things are said—nor am I curious to know.
Everyone yelling at me? They’re screaming into the ether.

2026-08-09 18:48:03 GMT

At #FOSSY, I’m about to hear a talk about TempleOS—which alone makes the 4th day so worth it.

2026-08-08 22:05:27 GMT

Now hearing “Blogging on the social web” by Matt Baer, the man behind Write Freely and write.as.
I keep wondering if I should get started on that or if Akkoma is simply good enough.
#Fedicon

2026-08-05 19:36:05 GMT

My favourite rock pianists and keyboardists in no particular order:
* Martin Rev
* Ray Manzarek
* Gillian Gilbert
* Rick Wakeman
* Fats Domino
* Fiona Apple
* Elton John
* Ben Folds
* Kate Pierson
* Tim Rice-Oxley
* Dave Greenfield
* Little Richard
* Billy Joel
* Amanda Palmer
I think these musicians are the cream of the crop when it comes to piano and keyboards in rock music.

2026-08-04 20:11:56 GMT

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We're all going to find out what will happen next year when USL rolls out their Premier league, which will have pro-rel.

2026-08-04 18:09:14 GMT

Today, Vancouver Whitecaps are taking on Atlante FC of #LigaMX.
I'm quite excited about this because *any* excuse to take on a Mexican pro #soccer team is positive in my books.
Mexico has, by far, the best soccer league in North America.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/competitions/leagues-cup/2026/matches/vanvsafc-08-04-2026/
#MLS

2026-08-03 18:14:11 GMT

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It came pre-installed with Rockbox. And I like it quite a lot!

2026-08-03 07:45:08 GMT

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Whoever Blaylock is, they must have been somewhat keyed in on Vancouver indie because just knowing three of those bands means having hyper specific knowledge about our scene.
At the time, it was Montreal that had all the critical indie darlings. That's where Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade are from.

2026-08-03 07:28:05 GMT

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Was that a CanCon playlist, by any chance?
I can already imagine what bands were on there: The Zolas, Topless, Hey Ocean, Rykka, Hot Hot Heat, Japandroids, Said the Whale, Destroyer...
Those were the mainstays on Vancouver alternative radio back in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

2026-08-03 07:09:36 GMT

Many things I thought are mainstream apparently aren't.
For example, The Velvet Underground.
Thy are as mainstream as the Beatles or Michael Jackson. So I thought. If that banana keeps showing up on t-shirts everywhere, that's the definition of mainstream, right?
Wrong. I casually name dropped them on Reddit one day, and everyone thought I was being this hipster who just likes things because they're obscure.
Meanwhile, that band entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. And they got an Apple TV+ documentary about them. Metallica decided to collaborate with Lou Reed on one of the most infamous albums ever made.
I mention this because I'm like this about a lot of things.
Everyone knows the Sugar Hill Gang, right? And also the Ramones. And Mariya Takeuchi. And Orbital. And Dwight Yoakam. And Weezer. And Wu Tang Clan. And The Strokes.
But no. The world is full of two kinds of people: folks who only live in the mainstream and never leave because they always need to be "current" and "with it"; and folks who are so deeply devoted to their subculture and niche, that everything outside it is somehow wrong. Metalheads, I'm looking at you.
I think we all owe to ourselves to learn the history of music, who made it, why it got made, and how we arrived at *now*.
That means leaving our little bubbles and being a little curious.
#note13h0…zssz

2026-08-03 04:48:10 GMT

This is how I remember the 2000s, and it's strange that this music is mostly forgotten.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiqpkTFjsMQ

2026-08-02 21:39:04 GMT

I can *now* confirm that this *brand new* MP3 player has a REAL clickwheel!
Not just a mechanical wheel. An actual wheel with a *touch* pad that clicks for song and file navigation! And yes, the centre is a button that clicks too!
Why am I excited about this?
As we all know, Apple stopped making iPods. The iPod Classic, Nano, and Shuffle was discontinued long, long ago. And very few non-Apple MP3 players since have had clickwheels.
This one was bought off Amazon for $83.99 and has a 64GB of storage—which is slightly more than what my iPod Classic had right before it was stolen.
This also uses Rockbox firmware, which gives is an intuitive iPod-like UI and functionality. You can look at photos and watch movies on it—even read books, but who would read books on this thing? Whatever, it's here.
But there's more! This MP3 player can play lossless .flac files. Which is something my iPod couldn't do. It also has Bluetooth connectivity. And it sports an FM radio.
How does it sound, though? Well, I'm listening on Audio-Technica ATH-M50x headphones—plugged right into the 3.5mm jack—and it sounds great. As good as an iPod, perhaps better.
This thing purports to have 25 hour of audio playback with wired headphones at half volume. I'm not sure about this, but I'm testing it. Nevertheless, this is where my old iPod Classic has the edge because it offered 30 hours of audio playback.
One further benefit: it works with Linux. Nothing like iTunes is required. It's just a matter of dragging and dropping files onto the device—which makes it way more useful to me than an iPod since, well, I like to use my Bazzite desktop PC for CD ripping.
If this just *acts* like an iPod, I am very happy. And yes, since this is cheap, I expect there to be "surprises". But so far, this is a suitable—and cheap—iPod replacement!
https://atomicpoet.org/media/45ed0abad0b7d8a2ff04ce5c18b4c0d5d9703f687ea446481790524d7eda5942.jpg
#note1252…xrnv

2026-08-01 21:16:57 GMT

Finally found an MP3 player with a clickwheel—NOT MADE BY APPLE!—that works with Rockbox!
To be clear, I don’t know if this is good—I’m not endorsing this.
But it’s worth testing out to see if there’s FINALLY an affordable non-Apple MP3 player with a clickwheel.
(Not providing a link until I test this for myself)
https://atomicpoet.org/media/fed441cf9e103db9cad2d86f84985af380764d49796d6862be4b9bd17225d856.jpeg

2026-07-31 21:09:18 GMT

This is someone’s “ride or die” coffee—and they think you’re a complete sucker for paying out the news for coffee beans.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/60c96bdd6276cd30869f5f229b16155a722c5bf8a6d004093543c4a49fbb1006.jpeg

2026-07-31 17:12:31 GMT

Starting my day off with matcha.
This is because of laziness.
If I had a coffee, I’d need to grind beans.

2026-07-29 21:36:47 GMT

So I'm getting rid of this CTC black tea.
Perhaps, when I bought this, there was a good rationale. But I don't remember it.
Thing is, it's not bad tea. I just have so much tea in my cabinet, I need to start reserving it for the really good ones—the teas that stand out. And there's so much CTC black tea in the world, I just don't need anymore.
There was a time in my life where I thought to myself, "I need to drink *all* the tea in my house." But those days are over. I can acknowledge when something is just taking up space.
#note1q7c…g3pt

2026-07-29 19:35:49 GMT

I have so much tea that there’s tea I know nothing about.
Looking at this, I suspect it’s CTC black tea either from India, Sri Lanka, or Kenya.
And think this is the case because the leaves are clearly cut and curled.
Based on experience, it’s not a good idea to use this loose leaf in a teapot. This is a case where a teabag is clearly better.
Now is CTC tea always bad? I disagree. It’s all about preparation. It works great on a stovetop when mixed with spices, milk, sometimes even butter. Or he’ll, sometimes a dollop of milk and sugar—though people often do it this way to hide astringency.
Now I’m not saying this will be good. Perhaps it’s terrible—in which case, I’ll throw it out. But I must have bought this for a reason so we’ll see.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/18a6047f63586b0da87303ddfde95b4c9bcda50600cb46525cbef8b261949249.jpeg

2026-07-24 04:17:55 GMT

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I have yet to see the Bandits in person, but I plan on doing that soon.

2026-07-24 03:18:42 GMT

Does anyone else find it annoying when a total stranger tries to prim and preen their way into getting you to buy them a drink?
Listen, I’m not even buying myself a drink because I value my sobriety.
So I’m not spending a single dime on you just because you interrupted a conversation I’m having with a friend so you can act like a pouty peacock.
You came to this bar willingly, so get drunk on your own paycheque.

2026-07-24 02:19:05 GMT

Today is the last day I’m hearing The Who album “Tommy” on vinyl which, though it has some good songs, is way too long because of all the god damn filler.
It’s an hour and 15 minutes long.
Like, I get that this is one of the first rock operas ever made. But just because you were first and sold gazillion copies doesn’t mean it’s not hard to sit through.
The story isn’t particularly good. It’s full of hippy dippy mystic bullshit. The main character is deaf and blind—but not really because it’s psychosomatic? Come on!
However, I haven’t seen the movie. And from Jay I hear, it’s much improved. So maybe I’ll see it later and see if that’s true.

2026-07-24 02:00:17 GMT

Just saw Vancouver Bandits vs. Winnipeg Sea Bears.
What a game! Vancouver was behind for most of the game until they got hot in the 4th quarter.
People need to support their local #CEBL team. If Canadians can build a good enough domestic league, we might succeed better at #basketball. Perhaps win a few medals at the Olympics.
Wouldn't it be good if we were good at a game a Canadian invented?
Vancouver Bandits 92-77 Winnipeg Sea Bears

2026-07-23 00:25:38 GMT

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Based off sales, I think most people at least like Pink Floyd, Styx, and Supertramp.
Genesis sold a lot of albums, although most people are completely unaware of that they’re a prog band. But even their 80s pop albums have prog elements.
I would definitely say that Journey and Toto have some prog elements, though they’re more pop-rock in practice.

2026-07-23 00:08:56 GMT

My sister doesn’t like Yes.
I tried demoing a few tracks to her but she found every one to be too maximalist.
I explained that this is a band that is all about expressing the joy of performance but she was t having it.
And I get it. Yes is like drinking a lemon ice tea. If you hate sour, astringent beverages, you’ll hate it. But for others, it hits the spot.

2026-07-20 04:21:21 GMT

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So that’s your nerdiness!
By the way, how do you like my Nikon?
It’s an analog film F-601.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/bba26b7aa56132187a60a0f3e928248264b0fff641addaac1c24f1b2cfea00aa.jpeg

2026-07-19 22:05:22 GMT

SPAIN WINS IT!
They’re #WorldCup champions!
And they deserve it because they were the only team trying to win it. Argentina spent the entire match in defensive mode, only trying to score in the last five minutes.
But after many, many attempts on goal, Spain finally squeaked on through in extra time.
Spain 1-0 Argentina
#soccer

2026-07-19 20:51:55 GMT

This #WorldCup Final is brutal to watch!
Maybe it would be better if you’re a Spain or Argentina fan.
But so far, there’s nothing beautiful about this game.
#soccer

2026-07-17 05:22:01 GMT

I discovered the worst sitcom of all time l.
And sadly, it was made in Canada during the 1970s.
The deal is that the script was from a radio show made in the 40s, all the actors read it verbatim, and there was only one take. Within one season, 130 episodes were made.
Lots of bad acting, dialogue flubs, and boom mics in shots.
https://youtu.be/YM72dO6lg6s

2026-07-16 05:10:28 GMT

The 2010s was such an odd decade for rock music.
People think it died. But I don't buy that. It's more like the innovators of rock music were no longer white hetero dudes.
For example, you can't tell me that St. Vincent isn't one of the most incredible guitarists of all time. And she is clearly making rock music because what else could this possibly be? If St. Vincent isn't a rock star, then neither is David Byrne or Kurt Cobain.
Yet people pretended that rock music was "revived" when Greta Van Fleet (LOL!) showed up—a band that just retreaded 70s cliches. Now I'm not saying a retread is inherently wrong because there's plenty of people who weren't alive in the 70s and thus haven't discovered Led Zeppelin yet. But they certainly did "revive" rock music.
Also, to anyone who cares: The Weeknd makes rock music too. If Kajagoogoo, Flock of Sea Gulls, and A-ha make rock music, so does The Weeknd.
https://youtu.be/TAdARF4rGcQ

2026-07-11 15:08:53 GMT

Every. Single. Day.
Every single day, I was in the gym. For 14 days straight. Cardio and heavy weights. That’s not counting the 10,000 or more steps a day I did exploring Seoul.
I put myself through hell. To the point that I fell asleep in the middle of the day. Before I went back to the gym.
And tomorrow, one more session.
Then I’m on a 15 hour flight. When I can hopefully recover.
I hope that this will pay dividends. I really do.

2026-07-10 04:27:24 GMT

This Korean boutique is called “DUMB IT DOWN FREEDOM”.
Their sign further says, “WE ARE COOL 100%.”
They actually have nice designs. I saw a t-shirt with a Sade portrait there.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/302d4ff1e9f3e5a7269e7f4e72dab706f121b0db8562195472ea324d0add1d76.jpeg

2026-07-07 05:22:14 GMT

A thought I’ve been having for the past 10 years:
It used to be that North America and Europe defined youth culture. But that’s no longer the case.
Asia is now a youth culture powerhouse. We see this with music, cartoons, sports, video games, social media, etc.
When you don’t travel to Asia, perhaps you might dismiss this as propaganda. And it’s true that governments do find the dissemination of culture. Soft power absolutely is a factor.
But when you see things from the ground, I can tell you that the talent is authentic. Not just manufactured. The kids coming up in Japan, China, South Korea, Thailand, so on—that is real.
And it is vibrant, fresh, full of life.
As old folks, it’s easy to think that nothing’s happening. There is no more relevant rock n’ roll or punk or hip hop. It’s all just a bland malaise.
That might be true in the USA where the resistance against the algorithm is as good as done. But that’s not true in Asia.
Come to Asia, there is real youth culture.

2026-07-01 09:41:19 GMT

The hotel I’m in is owned by Samsung.
Which means the restaurant I’m in is also owned by Samsung.
Samsung can sure cook up some fine chicken. And their rice noodles are pretty good.

2026-06-29 08:20:50 GMT

Just saw a Samsung Saturn!
Not Sega Saturn! Samsung!
https://atomicpoet.org/media/fc3291646ec884bbf3ad267023734f6349a8747d91e121b5a7c54fa6ef7966b5.jpeg

2026-06-24 19:16:26 GMT

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Soccer is a bigger deal in Europe. Hey, we didn't even score a goal in the World Cup until this tournament. To most Canadians, it's a revelation we're as good as we are.

2026-06-24 19:12:02 GMT

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It's 12:11PM right now.

2026-06-24 18:56:52 GMT

Who's ready for Canada vs. Switzerland?
I know I am. All we need is a tie and we finish on top of Group B. Not that this will be easy because it's not—Switzerland is a tough team.
#WorldCup #soccer

2026-06-19 21:04:33 GMT

I don't want to hear any more about how USA is terrible at #soccer.
They've just won back-to-back games at the #WorldCup and are at the top of Group D.
And they're outperforming Spain, Portugal, and Brazil—so-called soccer "superstars".

2026-06-19 00:05:04 GMT

CANADA WITH OUR FIRST EVER WORLD CUP WIN!!!
And it's one of the wildest wins ever.
Just to put this in perspective, Canada has only ever scored 7 goal in the #WorldCup. 6 of them were scored today.
Jonathan David scored a hat trick. The last time a host country ever scored a hat trick was in 1966.
Canada is now at the top of Group B—ahead of Switzerland. All we need to do is tie our next game and we move out of the group stage!
Canada 6-0 Qatar
#WorldCup #soccer
#note1jg0…4pun

2026-06-18 23:55:01 GMT

JONATHAN DAVID HAT TRICK!!!
Unbelievable. First ever #WorldCup win for Canada. And it's the best win possible.
LOL. We still have 7 minutes left.
Canada 6-0 Qatar
#WorldCup #soccer
#note15pp…gyqp

2026-06-18 23:53:43 GMT

Regulation time over. 9 minutes added. Probably should be more, but officials are likely being merciful.
#WorldCup #soccer
#note14z4…hgvz

2026-06-18 23:40:21 GMT

I'm really beginning to think that Canada wants to win this game.
#WorldCup #soccer
#note1qlj…cu94

2026-06-18 23:38:33 GMT

I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!
Before this #WorldCup, Canada had never scored a single goal in the tournament. Today, we got five!
And this last goal was a Qatari own goal!
Love this for Canada, but god damn, Qatar must be crushed!
Canada 5-0 Qatar
#WorldCup #soccer
#note12ur…zmn4

2026-06-18 23:26:50 GMT

GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAL!!!
HAHA! RIGHT OFF THE FREE KICK!
Sucks what happened to Koné with his broken leg. But we're wrecking Qatar!
Canada 4-0 Qatar
#WorldCup #soccer
#note10q8…xj9v

2026-06-18 23:25:22 GMT

Qatar knows they're not winning this, so they're fouling as much as possible.
Would surprise me whatsoever if they manage yet another red card.
#WorldCup #soccer
#note1plz…3ghk

2026-06-18 23:17:27 GMT

2nd red card for Qatar after a foul results in Canadian player getting a broken leg!
It's now 11 Canadians vs. 9 Qataris.
#WorldCup #soccer
#note1f6u…jens

2026-06-18 23:15:15 GMT

Qatar foul results in a Canadian player breaking his leg!
That was absolutely brutal to see, and now there's medical staff all over the field.
Yellow card for Qatar—at least for now.
#WorldCup #soccer
#note12qw…54jw

2026-06-18 23:01:58 GMT

HALF-TIME.
Canada is looking really good. Doesn't even have our best players, Bombito and Davies. One more goal, and we're ahead of Switzerland on the leaderboard.
I'm pumped! We're winning this game big in my hometown of Vancouver! Maybe I should have spent that $1,000 on a ticket! But whatever, I'm home—drinking my tea—so this is good!
Canada 3-0
#WorldCup #soccer
#note196z…tgks

2026-06-18 22:50:14 GMT

AM I DREAMING?!
CANADA SCORES AGAIN!!!
1st Half isn't even over! This is the best #WorldCup game in Canadian history! Only way it gets better is if we score one more goal!
Canada 3-0
#WorldCup #soccer
#note1mcy…dvky

2026-06-18 22:44:13 GMT

Compared to Qatar, Canada looks like Argentina right now.
#WorldCup #soccer
#note1fsj…v7sd

2026-06-18 22:37:41 GMT

Qatar being down 2-0 and getting a red card before the 35th minute is so harsh!
It will take a miracle for them to come back from this.
#WorldCup #soccer
#note13v3…w0w4

2026-06-18 22:35:33 GMT

No penalty kick, but a free kick!
Qatar just got a red card!
#WorldCup #soccer
#note1q68…kdey

2026-06-18 22:30:42 GMT

YEEEEEEEAAAAAH!
CANADA SCORES AGAIN!!!
I LOVE THIS GAME!
Canada 2-0 Qatar
#WorldCup #soccer
#note1fl7…6fzt

2026-06-18 22:18:25 GMT

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAL!!!!
CANADA SINKS IT IN AT THE 16TH MINUTE!
Canada 1-1 Qatar
#WorldCup #soccer
#note12ls…9gma

2026-06-18 22:00:34 GMT

LET'S GO!!!
CANADA VS. QATAR!
#WorldCup #soccer

2026-06-18 17:50:10 GMT

Today’s tea is Great Value Peppermint Tea, which is not a tea. It’s a tisane.
I was looking forward to a dark tea. But due to an “experiment”, I overcaffeinated myself.
So I’ll be honest. Peppermint is not something I typically drink, nor am I looking forward to this. It’s my wife’s favourite tisane, which is why we have it.
But it’s something in my pantry that I haven’t drank yet. And more importantly, it contains no caffeine.
Given that this is from a discount supermarket brand, expectations are low. Actually, it’s been in my pantry for awhile so this isn’t exactly fresh either.
Brewing from a teabag in a mug. I’ll be steeping this with boiled water for two minutes.
If I end up hating this, I have no one to blame except myself.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/7382d193408c6b0245defc4ee1777d400d6c7dff1b03859aa012e22fc7cc657e.jpeg

2026-06-17 22:35:12 GMT

Sencha green tea is neat because, when you pour water, bubbles naturally form at the top.
This is a characteristic of quality Japanese green tea, including matcha.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/de8f93741d1deb6fcdcff7afa7c552e590c6dbcbcc698586faa8207aa34c1a64.jpg

2026-06-17 21:01:24 GMT

I will always call #soccer as soccer—not football.
I know, this ain't a popular thing to say to Europeans around #WorldCup time. Especially those who believe they're purists.
But there are many forms of football, and it's worth differentiating soccer from those other forms.
If you're going to be purists, sorry. Mob football is the *real* football because it's the one played since medieval times. And it's still played today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsGYlo3xSh0
#note1fu9…nwrg

2026-06-17 20:55:21 GMT

- reply

We've been over this.
The actual name for soccer is "association football". This is to be differentiated from the *other* forms of football like rugby union football, rugby league football, Gaelic football, Aussie-rules football, American football, and Canadian football. And *all* forms of football are descended from medieval British folk football, with the most famous form—called mob football—still played in Ashbourne in England.
Anyway, to differentiate it from other forms of football, the Victorian English called it "assoccer". This was truncated to "soccer". This was imported to USA, Canada, and Australia where it is still called soccer today. But originally, it was the English who called it "soccer".
Being from Canada, I call it "soccer" because "football" refers to Canadian football. We're the country that invented the gridiron variety of football.

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

2026-06-14 18:21:09 GMT

Green yaupon is fantastic.
Let me go further. In terms of Western brewing methods, it is better than green tea.
I steeped these leaves for a solid five minutes. Boiled them too. If this were green tea, it would be undrinkable. But since it's yaupon, this makes for a stellar beverage.
Unlike tea, yaupon's leaves don't expand that much. They grow a little with hot water, but hydration doesn't exactly unfurl them. Watching the infusion, however, is entertaining as hell with the way the leaves float at the top.
The colour is interesting too. After 5 minutes, it's greenish-yellow but clear.
In terms of taste, it's more like yerba mate than tea, which shouldn't surprise us since the two plants are related to each other: one being from North America, the other from South America.
Yaupon is grassy, vegetable, naturally sweet. But not in the way tea is. Because yaupon lacks the tannins of tea, you have zero astringency or bitterness. Consequently, green yaupon is less heavy than green tea yet finishes crisp and smooth with hints of honey notes.
What's more wild? Yaupon has *way* more caffeine than tea. In fact, I'm very much feeling it right now. My nervous system is on full alert.
There's another quirk of yaupon.
In addition to containing caffeine, it also contains theobromine—the same chemical active in chocolate. Being a methylxanthine alkaloid, this is the same exact family of compounds as caffeine. However, while caffeine targets the central nervous system (your brain and nerves), theobromine primarily targets smooth muscle tissue and the cardiovascular system.
While similar to caffeine, its effects on the body are entirely distinct. It lowers blood pressure, opens airways, and elevates the mood.
(Nevertheless, for the same reason you wouldn't give chocolate to a dog, don't give yaupon to a dog either: theobromine is toxic to a pooch.)
For this reason, yaupon doesn't deliver the same crash that coffee does. The caffeine gives you the quick burst, but then the theobromine activates more slowly, giving you a better landing.
Yaupon is a fantastic beverage. And it definitely deserves more appreciation and respect.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/2ef2c4aac24edb0d638a8de074e67f93660e34c76a4ff973e5d1e689954f03e0.jpg
https://atomicpoet.org/media/4751fe3480589b3117d17e44e9a4849fd5ad2a2df48e3024c5c6a808173028b2.jpg
https://atomicpoet.org/media/b0d73ad04770a9dcb62593475b099ec09be526485ae9a38fe2571ec20e338257.jpg
https://atomicpoet.org/media/8603f4442855b0cc61a34c83f0e59fe70920b5b5c9080293f20cb396c77ef23b.jpg
#note152c…pdud

2026-06-14 17:23:56 GMT

CORRECTION: I apparently order three varieties of yaupon of varying oxidation.
So today, I'll be drinking Pedernales green yaupon loose leaf "tea".
Again this is not actually tea. It's yaupon, a caffeinated beverage that's different from tea. The only plant native to North America that naturally produces caffeine.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/69b089ac41db8afda277802c96cf57616fa6595d80f64e6a1b60d529924982ee.jpg
#note195n…aw8e

2026-06-14 17:16:55 GMT

Today’s tea is Texas Natice Yaupon Tea.
The package is a misnomer because this is not tea. It’s yaupon. And I’m excited as hell about yaupon.
You see, yaupon is the only plant native to North America that naturally produces caffeine.
It’s been consumed as a beverage by indigenous people for eons. Hell, this particular yaupon I’m holding was harvested and packaged by Native folk. There’s even a badge on the box that says “Made/Produced by American Indians”.
Yaupon should be huge. It’s a nice hardy plant that grows all over the southern USA. So why isn’t it in everyone’s pantry?
Because white people have suppressed it in favour of coffee and tea. Ridiculously, William Aiton—a British botanist acting in the interest of the royal botanical gardens—officially named the plant “Ilex vomitoria” just so everyone would think it’s disgusting when it’s clearly not.
Promoting a free, native, and abundant caffeinated alternative growing wild in the Americas? The British couldn’t have that happen. That’s a threat to their bottom line.
Now tea, something you import and must pay taxes on, that’s the mark of civilization. No way this will come back to haunt the British. Nope, not at all.
Nevertheless, the naming gambit worked. It hurt the commercial prospects for Yaupon.
The final blow came with the U.S. government’s forced removal of Cherokee, Creek, and other Southeastern tribes off their ancestral lands during the Trail of Tears. This severed many indigenous peoples’ connections with yaupon.
But you can’t keep a good caffeinated beverage down. 15 years ago, yaupon has been reclaimed by American farmers leading to a resurgence. And Native Americans are leading the way. You can’t keep now order it easily online.
This particular yaupon is USDA certified, regenerative organic certified, and kosher. And while as a Canadian, I’m not too fond of the USA right now, I will always support my indigenous brothers and sisters who are making something great.
One neat thing about yaupon is that, unlike tea, it has no tannins. Which means it’s incredibly forgiving to brew and doesn’t get bitter. You simply cannot over-steep it.
So today, I’m putting in 1tsp of yaupon into a pot, adding boiling water, and steeping it for 5 minutes. I may try gongfu some day, but again, this is not tea. I’m therefore going to see what a solid infusion gets me.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/52bfe4c9f10ea0d37252a1c11dcf635f43d7790e97452995d7de34a795fa7cf0.jpeg

2026-06-14 04:22:34 GMT

The silliest whiskey decanter ever made.
But it's so silly that I actually want it.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/f5318bf741289b757055c9429a3e5aa057887b0c7771b2cc969ec236bd5d08ac.png

2026-06-14 03:58:45 GMT

Catching Australia vs. Türkiye because that's happening in Vancouver at BC Place Stadium, the first #WorldCup match ever there.
Hmmm... I just noticed that Apple autocorrects Türkiye so that the umlaut is added and I don't like that. I think all special characters in English should be voluntary.

2026-06-13 02:18:16 GMT

HAHAHAHA!!!
Paraguay just got caught flopping! Initially, they got a free kick. But upon review, no contact was even made—and they got a yellow card as a result!
God, I'm not even cheering for USA, but this is pathetic on Paraguay's part.
#WorldCup #soccer
#note1rmg…knu6

2026-06-13 02:12:34 GMT

Sebastian Berholter plays for the Vancouver Whitecaps, so I'm happy that he made USA's #WorldCup team.
#soccer
#note1x9e…5t76

2026-06-13 02:10:12 GMT

USA's #soccer kit reminds me of Waldo.
#WorldCup
https://atomicpoet.org/media/7bda4bd8482d4b6c1e48a7982fd0acb9be708b9bfcf5de30a439ffeae3028f31.png
https://atomicpoet.org/media/b1dac9cf5750a12e0a3887718cb60fc99f957a25e1c4a843cb759af02f7df897.png
#note1tlx…6g5p

2026-06-13 02:01:05 GMT

Now joining the USA vs. Paraguay #WorldCup match, and I'm shocked that it's only half-time and USA is leading 3-0.
Absolutely disgusting lead.
#soccer

2026-06-12 23:06:51 GMT

Now watching Toronto Argonauts vs. Montréal Alouettes.
It's funny, nobody likes the Argos. Torontonians don't even like the Argos. They see the Argos as a hick team that prevents Toronto from getting an NFL team—spoiling them from having a World Class City™.
But this is why I cheer on the Argos.
As for the Alouettes, I should cheer for them since I have family in Montréal. But I also have family in Toronto—who hate the Argos. And I look being a contrarian asshole.
#CFL #football

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

2026-06-09 16:10:10 GMT

Plantation Simulator was advertised as a game in which you could buy and abuse black slaves. This isn’t that notable. There’s lots of edgelord games out there made for and by terrible people.
What is notable is that, two hours after it was launched—outside Steam refund window—the dev issued a patch that turned all the slaves white.
This upset a lot of awful people who bought the game with the expectation that they could enslave black people only to realize they could no longer do this. They were now stuck with white slaves. The whole thing was a rug pull.
As of May 24, the dev has since removed the game from Steam, claiming he’s said everything he wanted to say.
But before it was removed, this game had overwhelmingly negative reviews on Steam. But not because it was racist. No, it was because racists could no longer live out their fantasy.
https://kotaku.com/racist-plantation-game-trolls-valve-watches-2000698673
https://atomicpoet.org/media/d72aa531608314ebe1c4f2f63969eee62e6f581e11d5b1c7230c36e4a401489a.jpeg
https://atomicpoet.org/media/c3dac579092fcaaad2ea86aef7e681c228c08f6f9ec75d1ba6bf8b4cf1ecddd8.png

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.

2026-06-07 18:57:34 GMT

- reply

Sure, Palestinians are Semites. And I think in the context that Jews and Palestinians are cousins, this is a compelling point. As are Assyrians, Chaldeans, Ethiopians, and Arabs.
But since we’re being deliberate with terms, what do you mean by “Israel”? Do you mean the State of Israel? Or do you mean the Jews?

2026-06-07 18:35:09 GMT

- reply

Put that under the bucket of “criticizing the State of Israel”. If you’re not criticizing the State of Israel, let me know.

2026-06-07 18:30:32 GMT

Just so we’re all aware of what is and is not anti-semitism.
Criticizing the State of Israel != anti-semitism.
Setting fire to a synagogue = anti-semitism.

2026-06-07 08:37:14 GMT

Neon Space Ultra is a Space Invader-style fixed screen shooter, but with more enemy varieties and patterns.
It’s also a game I’ve owned for 10 years, and has now been delisted from Steam—so you can’t legally buy it.
It’s about what you’d expect: a simple arcade game with retro graphics and nice music. I don’t mind it at all.
And I miss the days when so much of PC gaming was a clone of arcade games. If you were around during the shareware era, you know what I’m talking about. Playing some variant of an Atari game was practically a rite of passage.
You can still find games like this on Steam, but they’re no longer as popular.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/9a238751ccfca8c5025ebac11ac94040d7e032bb18ecaf741cae9d2ecbf94030.jpeg

2026-06-07 07:04:48 GMT

The Flaming Lips - Race For The Prize (Running)
My favourite Flaming Lips song ever, and it's practically perfect. The two main characters of the song are two competing athletes locked in a lifelong marathon. And while they're scientists, the song visualizes their work as a gruelling and physical—side-by-side sprints—pushing their hearts and lungs to the absolute limit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs56ygZplQA
#note1lam…yg94

2026-06-07 06:58:30 GMT

The Super Bowl Shuffle – Chicago Bears Shufflin' Crew (Football)
The Shufflin' Crew is actually players from the Chicago Bears doing their best to rap along to a 80s synth-funk backing track. And you know what? It actually works. I don't think you can make a better song about football.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnwmxJ6RDHw
#note1afs…xtes

2026-06-07 06:53:58 GMT

The Legend of Chavo Guerrero – The Mountain Goats
This song is about watching watching the legendary Chavo on a fuzzy television screen, executing a perfect dynamic dropkick off the ropes, and defending his title against "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. But it is also about surviving a difficult childhood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9YvDfiAXT8
#note1zn9…n25g

2026-06-07 06:48:32 GMT

The Boxer – Simon & Garfunkel (Boxing)
One of my favourite Simon & Garfunkel songs ever. It's just a great story about a resilient fighter, but also about the isolation of the big city. I actually have this song on vinyl.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVPruOUlIkM
#note170c…plf2

2026-06-07 06:42:34 GMT

Centerfield – John Fogerty (Baseball)
Sure, there's a lot of old timey folk songs about baseball. But if we're talking about rock or pop songs made within the modern era, it's got to be this John Fogerty classic that's so infectious and has pure love for baseball.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq3hEMUeBGQ
#note10rx…ddd2

2026-06-07 06:38:03 GMT

Fast Car – Tracy Chapman (Auto Racing)
Okay, I know Tracy Chapman wasn't exactly singing about auto racing and it's a metaphor for something else completely. But I still can't help but associate it with racing because, come on, it's about a fast car.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIOAlaACuv4
#note1wzd…fawp

2026-06-07 06:35:15 GMT

De Ghuma Ke – Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy (Cricket)
Listen, if I'm going to share a cricket song, it will be the one that India commissioned for the 2011 Cricket World Cup. And it just so happens to be an absolute banger with an infectious beat. Almost like Jamaican dancehall—that's how hard it goes. There's even a guitar solo!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfgi0pFNdMU
#note1zp2…pjs3

2026-06-07 06:27:25 GMT

World in Motion – New Order (Soccer)
Every time the #WorldCup happens, algorithms send me this song—and I never complain because it's such a banger. I'm a huge fan of New Order anyway and *love* their albums. But even if I wasn't fan, this is just a world class song about soccer. Also, John Barnes does the rapping in this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re4aDJL3heA
#note1yea…zrp6

2026-06-07 06:23:00 GMT

Basketball – Kurtis Blow (Basketball)
This isn't just a basketball song, it's a time capsule to the 80s when hip hop was a baby, and we got to witness some of the best basketball ever committed to court. Because who can forget Dr. J, Moses Malone, Bird, and Magic?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_shxzlTRK44
#note1qc0…ua0y