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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[email protected]

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nprofile1qqsvjn9jruh820wcesk9xyl6vvl6d0vxhm2c9swrj77a0h7fkm8s3ncprpmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0d4hhxarj9ecxjmntqyqqug5l5y

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npub1e9xty8eww57a3npv2vfl5cel567cd0k4stqu89aa6l0undk0pr8shxmsz2

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Last Notes

2026-07-22 21:54:12 CEST

Today's tea is Organic The Skinny: A Chinese Secret, sold by David's Tea.
In my attempt to drink all the tea in my house, I'm now onto something I'm not looking forward to. But since I vowed to at least try *every* tea in my house, I will at least try this once. For now, it is unopened, but that's about to change.
The front of the canister says that it's an oolong. I wish that was the case because that would make this tea more interesting. Instead it's a blend of oolong, pu'er, ginger, orange peel, and eleuthero root "with natural flavouring".
If you're unfamiliar with David's Tea, they're kind of like the Starbucks of Tea. Yes, I know that Teavana is also the Starbucks of tea—since they're owned by Starbucks. But believe me, David's Tea is even more so because all Teavana locations are shut down and only exists as a zombie brand in supermarkets—whereas David's Tea still has actual retail locations in the wild. At least here in Canada.
So David's Tea *can* have great tea on their store shelves. The problem is that, even if the tea is good, their prices are eye-wateringly high compared to the same tea elsewhere. And if the tea is bad? Still expensive as hell.
You might be wondering why I even have this canister. Once again, this was a gift—people keep gifting me tea. But I would never buy David's Tea for myself. Not when even my local Japanese and Chinese supermarkets sell comparative teas for less.
I am going to give this tea an honest shot because *maybe* this is one of David's Teas better teas. But I have my doubts. In general, I'm not a fan of mixing oolong and pu'ehr, then masking it with spices. Oolong and pu'ehr both have unique characters, and when you muddy them up with a blend, what does that say about the base tea?
I also don't like how they label this as "A Chinese Secret". If this particular tea is a Chinese secret, then all Chinese tea is a secret. And if tea is a Chinese secret, it's the worst kept secret ever.
What particularly concerns me is the brewing instructions: 1-2 perfect (LOL!) spoons, hot water, steeped for 4-7 minutes, in a 16oz mug. Which, in my experience, is a terrible way to brew both oolong and pu'er.
Nevertheless, I will follow these instruction in good faith. I'll do a weak brew and a strong brew. But then I'll do an actual gongfu brew: 5g of leaves, 95C of hot water, steeped for 30 seconds after a rinse. And we'll see if my way of brewing is better—which it likely is.
I will keep an open mind on this one. If it's actually good, I'll keep it in my cabinet. If not, I'm throwing it out.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/ecafcebf6c71007b33bbe74a86eda2cea9245d8a577abe961ac5f9b967d0410a.png

2026-07-20 00:05:22 CEST

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

2026-07-07 07:22:14 CEST

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 11:41:19 CEST

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.

2026-06-24 21:16:26 CEST

- reply

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 21:12:02 CEST

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It's 12:11PM right now.

2026-06-24 20:56:52 CEST

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 23:04:33 CEST

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".

2026-06-18 19:50:10 CEST

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

2026-06-15 08:50:27 CEST

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 20:21:09 CEST

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 19:23:56 CEST

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 19:16:55 CEST

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 06:22:34 CEST

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 04:26:56 CEST

- reply

But they're Brazil, 5x World Cup champs.

2026-06-14 04:06:43 CEST

Now catching up with Scotland vs. Haiti.
Not going to lie. I'm rooting for Haiti because I want good CONCACAF representation, and I would love more upsets.
But Scotland is winning this 1-0 at Half-Time.
#WorldCup #soccer

2026-06-14 04:04:42 CEST

What?!
How did Morocco tie with Brazil?
It was 1-1 after full-time. This is not the script I grew up with.
#WorldCup #soccer

2026-06-14 04:02:15 CEST

Full-time.
Ugh! BC made it all the way to the 33-yard line, we had just a little bit of a shot at a Hail Mary into the end zone, and the receiver couldn't grab it.
Roughriders win this, deservedly so.
If BC didn't concede the rouge, we could have tied this up.
BC Lions 27-31 Saskatchewan Roughriders
#CFL #football
#note1t76…e3jd

2026-06-14 03:54:01 CEST

Saskatchewan touchdown!
This is rough. There's 48 seconds left and BC needs a touchdown to win this game. Doable but that's a tall order.
I knew that rouge would come back to haunt us!
BC Lions 27-31 Saskatchewan Roughriders
#CFL #football
#note1qn7…dsqg

2026-06-14 03:36:22 CEST

WOOOO! TOUCHDOWN BC!
We're in the lead for the first time this game! And we only got there on a 3rd down, pushing by inches!
Still got a little over 3:30 left, and the game is certainly not over yet!
BC Lions 27-24 Saskatchewan Roughriders
#CFL #football
#note1lua…hzez

2026-06-14 03:27:35 CEST

Roughriders reply with their own field goal.
Things are quite intense. It's been awhile since either team has had a touchdown. You get the feeling that, with time ticking down, something dramatic is on the horizon.
BC Lions 20-24 Saskatchewan Roughriders
#CFL #football
#note14k7…ftvu

2026-06-14 03:22:19 CEST

Field goal for Lions.
The previous rouge means that Saskatchewan is still in front. Every point matters in this game. And it's dangerous to concede a point, but I get that teams may want better field position.
BC Lions 20-21 Saskatchewan Roughriders
#CFL #football
#note12yj…anwc

2026-06-14 03:15:36 CEST

Rouge for Roughriders.
They missed the field goal and instead of running it out of the end zone, BC conceded one point. Still a tight game but that rouge may come back to haunt BC.
BC Lions 17-21 Saskatchewan Roughriders
#CFL #football
#note1l8y…y5mp

2026-06-14 02:56:23 CEST

BC gets a touchdown on a fast, efficient drive!
There were some passes thrown by Nathan Rourke who is an absolute specimen of a quarterback.
This game is not over. Not by a long shot.
BC Lions 17-20 Saskatchewan Roughriders
#CFL #football
#note1dq2…s0a9

2026-06-14 02:48:07 CEST

Field goal for Roughriders.
Three more points on the board but their drives are becoming tougher. And that's a credit to the fact BC's defence have woken up.
BC Lions 10-20 Saskatchewan Roughriders
#CFL #football
#note15rr…6jp9

2026-06-09 18:53:54 CEST

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 18:10:10 CEST

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 23:25:55 CEST

On one hand, you have men who identify as “androphiles”. They’re exclusively attracted to men and only sleep with men. Yet they insist they’re not part of the LGBTQ+ community.
On the other hand, you have men who identify as “heteroqueers”. They’re exclusively attracted to women and only sleep with women. Yet they insist they’re part of the LGBTQ+ community.
#note1p28…le0f

2026-06-08 22:54:55 CEST

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 05:34:36 CEST

Look what I found for $2 at a thrift store!
No one cares about classical vinyl, especially old vinyl—never mind something as obscure as this.
But it features both New York Pro Musica Antiqua and W.H Auden, and I’m such a sucker for this kind of antiquarian weirdness.
I suspect whoever bought this previously acquired it simply as a status symbol because the vinyl is unplayed. But I’m giving it a solid listen for the next week.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/6ea3000504ee1479903efc840a8eeefd2f2ee229836e10d24fc292d514d20938.jpeg

2026-06-07 04:13:13 CEST

Suddenly feel the need to send a fax.
I’m sure this feeling will pass…
📠
…through the feeder.

2026-06-03 00:10:36 CEST

YouTube Music recommended Alessandra Mussolini to my wife—the granddaughter of Benito Mussolini, and also a Fascist in her own right.
Trying to figure out why this *thing* was playing on my wife’s phone, I made a truly shocking discovery.
In 1982, Alessandra Mussolini made a city pop album called Amore. It was released in Japan only. And her song “Love is Love” even won a Silver award at the Tokyo Music Festival.
And now this Fascist’s city pop career is being revived in 2026 because Japan had to somehow make the Mussolini family more notable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amore_(Alessandra_Mussolini_album)

2026-06-02 01:31:39 CEST

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Because a rinse gets rid of fannings and dust which can create over extraction, especially if tea is stored for 5 or more years, which is often the case for stuff like pu’ehr.
You can feed the water to plants. They love it.

2026-06-01 19:25:39 CEST

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Yeah, it probably would be good as a cold brew with a tiny pinch of sugar and baking soda added.

2026-06-01 18:58:41 CEST

Today tea is Lime Blossom green tea blend.
In my quest to drink all the tea in my house, I’m now planning to finish this entire pack today.
The basis of this blend “Fair Trade Certified” jasmine green tea. Which is itself a blend of the jasmine plant with the the tea plant.
But then the following is added: lemongrass, calendula petals, lemon Myrtle, pure essential oils of lime, orange extract, tangerine extract, and natural rose extract.
That’s a lot of stuff. Very citrusy. And I’m wondering if I made a good decision to drink this considering I had tangerine peel pu’ehr yesterday.
But I very much want to drink all of this, finish something in my pantry.
I’ll be following the instructions: 1 tsp for 8oz. Steeping at 80C for 3 minutes.
I don’t have much enthusiasm for this. Then again I had lots of enthusiasm for yesterday’s tea, and it didn’t live up to the excitement. So who knows what will happen.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/acebcdf25ec70ccd6ec72c3b0e18e31bcb65994b67943b5c3320fd6361bee812.jpeg

2026-06-01 08:37:08 CEST

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Something dark is invented: pu’ehr.

2026-06-01 07:45:44 CEST

What your favourite type of tea says about you:
* **Black tea** – you are a creature of habit who wishes they were drinking coffee, but you prefer curry over tacos and have accepted this as your fate
* **Green tea** – you follow whatever health craze is popular this month, eat a suspicious amount of sushi, and have strong opinions about rock gardens
* **White tea** – you're a nudist, or you would be if your skin didn’t react to sunlight like a Victorian child seeing a ghost
* **Oolong tea** – you feel weirdly attracted to mountains, and you own at least 1 goat hair sweater you describe as “honest”
* **Pu'ehr tea** – you're obsessed with kung fu and believe you can harness the power of chi, mostly by hanging out in a damp wooden basement
* **Yellow tea** – you're a god damn hipster who quit drinking IPAs because it went way too mainstream so you're obsessed with anything similar to a damp Victorian cloth
Here’s a version closer to the style of the list:
Anyway, no matter what tea you drink, the real problem is that you own a kettle and have started treating it like a small metal family member. You probably think someone is going to steal it, which is completely unhinged, because who the hell is breaking into your house for a boiled water heater?

2026-05-30 18:24:40 CEST

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Yes, you do this with Chinese tea. But this is not Chinese tea. It's finely ground Ceylon tea, which comes from Sri Lanka. The reason it's Hong Kong-style is because of how it's used in Hong Kong.
You don't rinse this tea with hot water because the purpose of a rinse is to open the leaves. But since this is practically dust, you can't open anything. The moment water hits this, all the tannins immediately get activated.
Which is why I don't go gongfu style with this and instead use an Aeropress, brewing this exactly how I make coffee.

2026-05-30 18:12:00 CEST

Here's what Hong Kong-style tea looks like.
And if you think this looks like coffee, yeah, you're right. Which is why I brew this with an Aeropress—exactly how I make coffee.
To be sure, this is *not* coffee. It's finely ground tea leaves. But it is so strong, even a 30 second steep is overpowering. It's actually more overpowering than coffee.
Which is why *everyone* drinks this with milk. Let me emphasize again—everyone drinks this with milk because drinking it by itself is actually insane. And even with thick condensed or evaporated milk, boy oh boy, it will knock your socks clean off.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/ea5ba2438e9dac5cc520d3e580ab153816f5c3e63fbc4fc661244a7c30a0659f.jpg
#note1jae…udy5

2026-05-30 18:03:17 CEST

Today’s tea is Hong Kong-style tea, which is actually 100% Ceylon black tea—but not the kind you likely know.
In my attempt to drink all the tea in my house, I’m now imbibing in one of the most ridiculous teas I own. Let me explain.
This tea is ultra fine. So fine that it causes particulates to fly when you open the lid. But I assure you this is neither matcha nor instant tea powder.
No, you are supposed to steep this. But not for long. You cannot go gongfu with this. Nor can you go Western-style with a teabag. In Hong Kong, they use a filter that resembles pantyhose to work with this.
I, of course, do not have such a filter. So I just tried an experiment: using an Aeropress—making this exactly how you make coffee.
And it actually worked. Because, you don’t want to steep this for long. Even at 30 seconds, it’s strong.
So I dumped two teaspoons into the Aeropress. Then I added boiling water. I timed for 30 seconds, then I used the Aeropress plunger to compress the finely ground leaves.
What’s hilarious about this is that it made an even more compressed puck than my coffee.
But how does it taste? Let me tell you, even at 30 seconds, you do not want to drink this by itself. Milk is absolutely required.
So I put in 2tbsp of condensed milk. And finally, this thing worked well as a beverage. Which is totally fine—nobody in Hong Kong drinks this without milk.
Now many of you wonder if I hate “strong” teas, preferring delicate green and oolong instead. But this—this absolutely puts your English Breakfasts and a builder’s brews to shame. It is so strong that even a 30 second steep makes it stronger than coffee.
I’m not joking. In fact, in Hong Kong, they often combine Hong Kong-style tea with coffee to make a mutant beverage known as yeunyeung. And believe it or not, the coffee takes the edge off of tea.
I actually quite like this tea a lot. But it’s because it’s an example of Chinese people—colonized by the British—looking at English tea and going, “You think that’s a knife? No, this is a knife.”
Trust me, this tea will knock your socks off.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/354cda028d4c0b86622030a0a9cd374d57bc2ad42e9504c9dd9db84de0935c64.jpeg

2026-05-28 02:12:36 CEST

I actually feel really bad about introducing my wife to Boy Throb because I thought they were a harmless boy band that was parody but also sincere in their desire to be famous.
But now she's doing everything she can to excise the memory by watching documentaries.
#note15y7…yz8k

2026-05-27 22:12:00 CEST

Today’s tea is ChaTraMue Brand Thai Tea Mix (Extra Gold).
In my quest to drink all the tea in my house, many of you might find this a shocking departure from the pu’ehr and oolongs I’ve been showing off recently.
This is a finely milled, heavily flavored commercial blend designed to punch through a lot of sugar, milk, and ice.
ChaTraMue is most famous for its standard "Red Tin," which produces the vibrant, neon-orange Thai iced tea found in restaurants worldwide. But this Extra Gold version I have represents their premium blend. It uses a higher grade of Assam black tea and is formulated to have a much more robust, earthy tea flavour.
Typically, I don’t like teabags. But there are exceptions. This is one of them because the tea is deliberately astringent so it can survive the spices and flavours: star anise, crushed tamarind seed, cardamom, and vanilla.
Extra Gold is often used for iced teas. But today, I’m drinking this hot with condensed milk.
First, I put a teabag in a mug.
Then I pour the boiling water directly over them and let it steep for 4 to 5 minutes. Before removing the teabags, I press them firmly against the side of the mug with a spoon to extract the concentrated, dark tea and the remaining spices. Afterwards, discard the bag.
While the tea is still piping hot, I add two teaspoons of condensed milk.
This makes for a wonderful dessert tea.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/4e990cbecaa5cdc11d9471cf9a36510a7a4312dfb06db910e58e04c14ce463bf.jpeg

2026-05-27 20:57:41 CEST

My wife and I have vastly different tastes when it comes to female singers.
She prefers singers like Adele while I prefer singers like Hope Sandoval.
In terms of technique, I understand that Adele is next level.
But there's something about Hope Sandoval that's so intensely feminine that she can sing literally anything and—no matter the effort—you *must* stop and listen to her. She doesn't need vocal acrobatics. She doesn't need runs or a whistle register. She can just sing and it means something.
https://youtu.be/o4m5jQy5A2U

2026-05-26 06:16:56 CEST

If you want to know why Metro Vancouver is "running out of land", take a look at this map.
"Urban growth" is only allowed on the green highlighted areas.
Back in the 90s, the plan was to build for density—which was supposed to solve the affordability problem. However, detached homes became a $1 million premium. And developers decided that one bedroom condos were the answer to densification.
Which—surprise!—didn't make a whole lot of sense for working families.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/b3c79d91e96cc1b242f7bce3884100c3cf663023c90acc6638449f271a6d158c.png

2026-05-25 21:42:21 CEST

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Because it happened.

2026-05-25 18:57:07 CEST

People often find it odd when I describe a woman's behaviour as "scary" because we're all socialized to believe that the only thing to fear from women is emotional volatility, manipulation, and reputational damage.
But once a woman chokes you from behind, really gives your neck a tight squeeze, deprives you of oxygen, *then* you realize that women's capability for physical violence is actually pretty great.
The biggest predictor she will do that? She tells you.

2026-05-23 18:58:38 CEST

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 18:50:29 CEST

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 18:40:47 CEST

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 18:36:28 CEST

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 07:49:08 CEST

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 04:17:45 CEST

Those were great #PWHL playoffs. Historic for more reasons than one.
Maybe the Vancouver Goldeneyes will win it next year. I can only hope.
Nevertheless, what did you all think of Montréal Victoire winning the 2026 Walter Cup?
#note1ymu…qxyf

2026-05-21 04:02:52 CEST

WHAT A MOMENT!
Seeing the Montréal Victoire holding the Walter Cup is so special.
#PWHL #HNOM #hockey
#note15p2…l88f

2026-05-21 03:42:35 CEST

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 03:36:12 CEST

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

2026-05-21 03:34:05 CEST

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 03:28:51 CEST

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 03:20:27 CEST

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 02:45:20 CEST

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 02:18:44 CEST

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

2026-05-21 01:52:41 CEST

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

2026-05-21 01:01:37 CEST

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 04:35:00 CEST

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Thanks for the well wishes!

2026-05-20 01:31:44 CEST

I'm *still* working on #Fediverse talk for @[email protected]. Nevertheless, I'll be structuring my talk into five sections:
1. Who I am (former Hootsuite employee no. 8)
2. How I discovered the Fediverse (a chance email from @npub1764…nuj0)
3. When I joined the Fediverse train (choo! choo!)
4. How the Fediverse works (open source, protocols, servers, clients, etc.)
5. Why the Fediverse can change the world—and also your life
I'll be speaking for an entire hour, and then fielding questions for a half hour.
#note1m4v…r7wy

2026-05-20 01:23:04 CEST

This Saturday, I'm speaking at @npub17wg…f4my about the #Fediverse.
It will be held at Burnaby Public Library at 2PM-4PM.
Want to attend? Here's where to register:
https://luma.com/ahm1hi2s
#VanLUG

2026-05-20 00:41:53 CEST

The problem with much of the Left is that it falls prey to campism.
Don’t like USA’s foreign policy? Campism says you have a moral obligation to support the opposing camp: Russia, Iran, Hezbollah.
But just because you oppose American imperialism doesn’t mean you should support other forms of imperialism just because they’re anti-American.
Campism is how Stalin held onto power for so long.
In other words, the enemy of your enemy is not necessarily your friend.

2026-05-19 05:21:45 CEST

Maybe someone who’s smarter than me can explain how this is different from the baseline sexual experience of most people:
> Axiosexuals are averse to and/or disinterested in sex with individuals they are not attracted to, but may engage if sexual and/or other attraction is present.
> Many axiosexuals are on the asexual spectrum (often also identifying as grayasexual or demisexual) but some allosexuals may also identify as axiosexual if they experience disinterest towards sexual activities with individuals they are not specifically attracted to.
Don’t most people want to have sex with people they’re attracted to and don’t want to have sex with people they’re unattracted to?
https://lgbtqia.wiki/wiki/Axiosexual
#note18x9…6pp4

2026-05-19 05:15:16 CEST

An axiosexual is a person who only experiences the desire for sex when they deem a person attractive enough to warrant it.
https://lgbtqia.wiki/wiki/Axiosexual

2026-05-19 04:13:40 CEST

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I have to eat fish.

2026-05-19 04:04:20 CEST

I’m at Dave’s Famous Fish and Chips in Steveston, and now I know why it’s famous.
They serve up cod, halibut, and salmon. Breaded and moist to perfection. The coleslaw is fresh. And the chips have both snap and softness.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/9f16e0f9c6f5704c5f80d71fd13c4939714468f6734a8f38acb669dd9137d3c7.jpeg

2026-05-19 03:10:52 CEST

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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 02:47:54 CEST

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 02:44:22 CEST

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 02:42:46 CEST

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 02:32:23 CEST

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 02:30:15 CEST

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 02:16:52 CEST

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

2026-05-19 01:48:45 CEST

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

2026-05-19 00:52:01 CEST

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

2026-05-19 00:38:12 CEST

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 23:59:38 CEST

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

2026-05-18 21:29:34 CEST

What I’m implying is that the U.S. is threatening Canada with invasion, though they won’t yet say that explicitly since an invasion is unpopular with Americans.
#note18tc…mv5y

2026-05-18 21:21:14 CEST

Isn’t it an odd coincidence that Pentagon is walking away from the U.S.-Canada defence board after the Alberta Referendum is quashed?
And that the reasoning is that Canada has failed to meet credible military spending after Canadian military spending actually rose above 2% national GDP?
And that this comes after Canada opted to buy European jets instead of American jet?
And that it occurs after Canada builds closer ties with Nordic countries?
And that it happens after Trump makes repeated threats to annex Canada?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trump-canada-us-joint-defence-board-9.7203211

2026-05-17 22:56:56 CEST

There’s a way of brewing tea that I quite like called “grandpa style”.
Basically, you just put loose leaves in a mug.
No teabag, no filter. You just let the leaves flow around and do their work. Once your mug is a quarter full, you refill your mug with hot water.
This works pretty well for a lot of Chinese teas.

2026-05-17 04:20:54 CEST

God damn it. Vancouver goalie Takaoka just got a red card at the 60th minute.
Still scoreless game.
Houston Dynamo 0-0 Vancouver Whitecaps
#MLS #soccer
#note1p7f…70ss

2026-05-17 03:11:57 CEST

Really scary concussion just happened to a Houston Dynamo player. An ambulance just came out to the field. I hope he’s okay.
#MLS #soccer.
#note1h5j…74yc

2026-05-17 02:45:12 CEST

Watching Houston Dynamo vs. Vancouver Whitecaps.
Vancouver is the best team in #MLS and they’re the favourites to win.
#soccer

2026-05-17 02:39:43 CEST

This new heart medication is brutal and I hope the effects I’m experiencing are temporary.
Going for a simple walk outside shouldn’t exhaust me.

2026-05-17 01:08:18 CEST

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No, the dark sauce is barbecue and the light sauce is hummus.

2026-05-17 01:05:23 CEST

The legendary Uncle Fatih’s Pizza in Richmond, BC, Canada.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/fc891ffa77dfc1b13b190263380ade335eb7ac86f3e26a3e7817404372709bb6.jpeg

2026-05-16 01:50:31 CEST

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/

2026-05-16 01:38:06 CEST

Okay, as a fruity black tea blend, Mango Ceylon Équateur Blend tea is good by itself without milk and sugar.
It's brisky with a hint of sweetness. The mango doesn't hit you over the head. It's real subtle.
I prefer this as a milk tea, though. That's where it really shines.
Some day, I'm going to try this as a cold tea but making a decent cold tea takes a lot of work.
#note1d30…g7g3

2026-05-16 01:18:32 CEST

Someone asked what Mango Ceylon Équateur Blend tea is like without milk and sugar, so I'm trying an experiment.
I'm heating water to 95°C and then steeping for three minutes. This will give a fairer assessment for what this is like just by itself.
#note1v8d…aejx

2026-05-15 21:40:25 CEST

Today’s tea is Mango Ceylon Équateur Blend from Nikaido.
In my quest to drink all the teas in my house, I’m now opening up this blend—which was chosen by my daughter. Yesterday, I finished up Nikaido’s kukicha green tea. So why not keep going on the Nikaido train?
This is a black tea with its origins from Sri Lanka. Ceylon is often confused with Indian tea, but it’s not. It comes from an island country to the south of India.
As for the blend, it features cut leaves with mango chunks and sunflower petals. This gives a sweet counterbalance to the black tea malty briskness.
It makes for a great ice tea. But personally, I’m drinking it hot with some condensed milk.
To brew this, I boil water at 100°C. I put condensed milk at the bottom of my mug. Then I pour into a metal basket filter that’s perched at the top of my mug. Steep for five solid minutes. Remove filter and enjoy.
Drinking this right now, it’s powerful stuff. And I’m glad I was generous with the leaves!
https://atomicpoet.org/media/180aeec1c376bcbe97733497f1df565eb0f24a36b8a3fd997073a4155ae02228.jpeg

2026-05-15 20:11:51 CEST

I pay *lots* of attention to the UFL.
For those unaware, the UFL is a football league that's a merger between the USFL and the XFL. It plays during the spring.
Now the reason I watch the UFL is because there's a lot of talk about a *further* merger with the CFL. For many reasons, this is unlikely. But no doubt, because the UFL season ends just as the CFL season begins, many UFL players cross over to the CFL.
So far, the UFL is treading water. When it comes to TV ratings, it does all right—but stadiums are almost empty.
https://youtu.be/aWskTsjFJkY

2026-05-15 19:30:07 CEST

Doom and boom narratives both have *monetizable audiences*.
The prepper selling freeze-dried food and the fintech influencer selling a course on the next 100x coin are structurally identical businesses.
Neither are selling analysis. Both are selling emotion.
#note1j0l…n8e8

2026-05-15 19:25:10 CEST

The stock market isn't just driven by sentiment but also constantly duelling fear and greed narratives—much of which is disconnected from actual balance sheets.
Most of the time, neither fear nor greed are justified. And such narratives are, often enough, grifts.
If you listen to certain people, we are all doomed. Capitalism is going to collapse tomorrow. Hope you bought a bomb shelter and imperishable goods.
Then you have others who say we're on the precipice of a golden age, a wonder tech has been unlocked that will solve all our problems, everyone will be drinking out of diamond goblets.
It is silly to guess how far greed or fear will go. But if you act on triggers when either sentiment moves into extreme zones, things will likely turn out well.
#note1r0r…ygu4

2026-05-15 19:04:28 CEST

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Sure, the market is driven primarily by two things: fundamentals and sentiment. Sentiment is what powers cycles.
A month ago, there was a lot of fear. But that fear too extreme, which resulted in stocks being oversold.
When a ceasefire with the Iran War was announced, this provided the rationale to buy stock once again. Since stock growth had been suppressed since October 2025, this was the catalyst for greed.
Now that stock valuations have grown so much, people are looking to cash out and will seize on *any* news as justification.
Today's fear is inflation. But this isn't enough fear to bring us into the next fear cycle.

2026-05-15 10:33:31 CEST

Nikkei fell 1.99%
Which signifies that the market may have peaked. But that’s just the sentiment in Asia, where Trump’s meeting with Xi just concluded.
However, things might be different in the USA. People might be hyped for Nvidia’s earnings date. Or the new Fed chair.
My instinct is that, since the market already went up so drastically, some people may be looking for any excuse to take money off the table. Just one piece of news to justify their exit.

2026-05-15 00:27:58 CEST

Gong back to the gym after having a cold, changing heart medication, and being told have high likelihood of skin cancer.
Been through lot these past two weeks. But I ain’t stopping.