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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Last Notes

2026-05-13 01:58:59 CEST

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Economists say the function of school is social networking, and you only need to look at Signalling Theory.
Most of what you learn in school is not used in the workplace. If schools were merely for training workers, the curriculum would be hyper-focused on vocational skills.
Instead, a degree acts as a high-fidelity signal of intelligence, conscientiousness, and (most importantly) conformity to high-status norms. If school were just about training, an online degree with the same curriculum as Harvard would have the same value. It doesn't, because Harvard’s value is the institutional prestige and the social signaling of its name.
Thus, schools don't exist merely for education. They're hubs for social capital. The "official" curriculum teaches math, but the "hidden curriculum" teaches the codes of social interaction, dress, and speech.
There's many studies on this. Here's a paper I read recently:
https://www.pedocs.de/volltexte/2016/12295/pdf/cepsj_2016_2_Rogosic_Baranovic_Social_capital.pdf

2026-05-12 04:13:27 CEST

Roman soldiers were simps for Goth girls.
And that's why the Empire is over.

2026-05-09 11:50:31 CEST

You know the Fediverse is full of braindead ideologues when they spend more time arguing about the *correct political methodology* for getting a cancer diagnosis than just being happy I went and got checked.
#note19dz…l0fj

2026-05-09 11:33:26 CEST

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No, I couldn't have gone to a doctor straight away because I have no family doctor, walk-in clinics don't accept walk-ins, and urgent care facilities have 5 hour wait times.
You would know this if you bothered reading anything. But since you have don't read, I'll say this clearly—and I can say this with feeling considering the circumstances: shut the fuck up.

2026-05-08 07:28:50 CEST

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To be able to pull off these sequence of kicks doesn't even seem human.
And Mona Kimura isn't some circus act either. She's a legit kickboxer who fights in K-1.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9B7sNX5WhDE

2026-05-08 07:25:12 CEST

This is the finest athletic demonstration I've ever seen.
And that is no exaggeration.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KlfEXu_C1WE

2026-04-24 05:58:46 CEST

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The plan *seems* to be merging Xbox and Windows platforms together, bolstering social capabilities, bringing back exclusives, and making Games Pass more affordable.
The challenge will be whether or not Valve eats their lunch. Because let's be honest: the Steam Deck, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame will be their primary competition.

2026-04-23 18:42:35 CEST

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That’s the point. They’d never put “sun landing” in the official documents. You have to read between the lines, the redacted lines, and the lines that mysteriously aren’t there.

2026-04-21 05:11:38 CEST

PREDICTION: In 20 years, India is going to be considered cool. Not in the 60s Beatlesque way either.
Bollywood will explode. Bhangra music will be on the radio. Indian cricketers will be international superstars with even Americans tuning into IPL games.

2026-04-16 08:47:37 CEST

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

2026-04-16 04:02:45 CEST

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

2026-04-16 04:01:27 CEST

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

2026-04-16 03:45:38 CEST

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

2026-04-16 02:06:26 CEST

Cowboy Junkies represent another musical innovation started in Canada: LoFi and slowcore.
They were a band that asked, "Why if the most punk thing ever was to be slow and quiet?" At the time, it sounded ridiculous. Isn't alternative music all about being fast and loud?
But then the band went into a literal *church*. They set up one microphone. That's right, just *one! Hit record—and the result is one of the most potent recordings ever committed to tape.
How wild is it to take an iconic song like "Sweet Jane"—originally recorded by the Velvet Underground—and completely blow away the original by doing it slow and quiet?
https://youtu.be/Fa9nN3G2CSg
#note1h8d…dm8q

2026-04-15 22:19:51 CEST

If DOA was the band that defined hardcore punk, Pointed Sticks is the band that defined Canadian pop punk.
But don't let their catchy tunes fool you. Anyone who saw the Dennis Hopper movie Out of the Blue—set in Vancouver—can tell you that Pointed Stick was just as gritty and outrageous as DOA. In many ways, even more so.
Pointed Sticks were also the first Canadian band to find an international following, landing on the celebrated Stiff Records.
https://youtu.be/fe8eRf6m-IM
#note1q8x…ft6m

2026-04-15 08:25:28 CEST

Angine de Poitrine is clearly the breakout artist of 2026.
And they’ve had a halo effect on Québec’s music scene.
I haven’t seen this much excitement over Québec music since the 2000s when Montreal was the epicentre of rock music.

2026-04-15 05:18:31 CEST

JD Vance really thinks he knows more about Catholic theology than the freakin’ Pope!
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/vance-warns-pope-careful-talking-theology-rcna331881

2026-04-14 22:51:11 CEST

"Chris, what makes you qualified to make a Canadian Gen X auntie playlist?"
From the moment I was born, I was baptized by Canadian Gen X auntie soundtrack. I couldn't escape it. At first, I hated it. But over time, I've come to love and respect it.
This was the music you heard when she slapped you across the face for stealing her yoghurt. When she got angry because she just got her period and she knows you'll never ever have one. When she dragged you to the local a John Fleuvog—forced you to sit there fore an hour—and handed you her Walkman to keep you busy.
So believe me, I am more than qualified to make a playlist for Canadian Gen X aunties. I *earned* this.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCSv5rSJy-UxR6tyE6_U-DvkYKw-xYdIq
#note17e4…df9v

2026-04-13 09:13:31 CEST

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

2026-04-03 08:12:42 CEST

Ryan Wedding ran a news site about organized crime called "The Dirty News". And much about it is about what happens in Vancouver.
It's wild how a guy living in Mexico, all about that cartel life, was still reporting about goings-on in Vancouver.
It was recently seized by the FBI.
https://thedirtynewz.com

2026-04-03 03:39:57 CEST

I'm convinced that all straight woman love Aragorn from Lord of the Rings.
If you are a straight woman who does *not* love Aragorn, speak now or forever hold your peace.
(And preferring Legolas over Aragorn does not count.)
https://atomicpoet.org/media/8d19b48f27ea42ed62c13ae9b769ff374ed79e096b0a27a3880fa6950a5c584d.png

2026-04-03 03:25:53 CEST

I've been in the gym every day this week.
I stopped going for a month because I got uncomfortably big, so I felt the need to change my eating habits.
At first, I tried fasting for 18 hours a day, only eating within a six hour period. But then whenever I tried going to the gym, my heart rate got majorly concerning. As in, I was reaching over 200bpm on the treadmill.
So I had to stop that.
Right now, I'm doing 16 hour fasts. And I'm only working out within that window. Which has made a profound difference. No more crazy heart rate spikes.

2026-04-02 23:15:49 CEST

Let's talk about Chinese organized crime in Vancouver.
There are three prominent triads here:
* Sun Yee On
* 14K
* Big Circle Gang / Big Circle Boys
These groups are huge, have an international presence, and keep a very low profile. That is, you won't often see them in the media. Nevertheless, they're involved in drug smuggling, casino laundering, and real estate investing.
Distinct from triads are local Chinese street gangs. And there are many more Chinese street gangs than triads, most of which are more visible and have a very colourful history unto themselves.
The first notable gang was the Soccer Club, which emerged in the 1960s. They were based in Chinatown and East Vancouver, and were engaged in brawls at parks, schools, and roller rinks.
By the 1970s, the Soccer Club (now called Jung Ching) split into two factions: Lotus and Bak Mei.
Other Chinese gangs that formed in the 1970s were Star Wars, Ching Tao, and Red Eagles. And actually, Lotus and Red Eagles were involved in a long gang war that started with pipe beatings and then evolved into shootings.
By the 90s, the Chinese gang wars calmed down partially because of law enforcement, but more because the Big Circle Boys intervened. The triads implored the street gangs to "stop making war, make money." And that largely worked—the gangs pivoted towards working for the triads.
But that's not to say that triads were no longer involved in violence. It's more like the triads expanded their influence beyond strictly ethnic Chinese gangs.
For example, one local street gang with prominent triad links is the UN Gang—which gets its name because it's explicitly multi-ethnic. It has members from European, Persian, Indian, African, and East Asian backgrounds. Its founder, Clayton Roueche—an upper-class white guy—was mentored by triads, became a Buddhist, and tattooed his body with Asian-style tattoos.
The UN Gang was involved in the deadliest Vancouver gang war ever, fighting against bitter rivals the Red Scorpions. This gang war started in the 2000s, continues to this day, and has now gone international.
Nowadays, there are fewer Chinese-only street gangs, and more Chinese factions within multi-ethnic street gangs. For example, Mo Dumplings operates as a Chinese faction within the UN Gang.
As for the triads, they have coalesced into The Company (a.k.a., Sam Gor), which is a merger of 14K, Sun Yee On, Big Circle Boys, among others. They are low-profile and rarely make the news. Nevertheless, many Canadian triads are involved in a drug trade that rivals Mexican cartels in terms of influence. They're mostly notable for the "Vancouver model," which is an innovative method for laundering money.
If a local gang in Surrey needs a way to wash $10 million, they contact The Company. And while The Company had a setback with the arrest of Tse Chi Lop, it is just as powerful as ever.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/7df2363ce1b77e54cfe4b16ef6e0d37daf26fa64bb95b65c1c65113450e51d2e.png

2026-04-02 21:57:16 CEST

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No, first time I've heard of it. Personally, I use Heroic Launcher.

2026-04-02 20:30:39 CEST

Today, I learned there's an actual Federal "Prospects" Hockey League.
And it's actually not that far away from the movie Slap Shot.
It is the lowest rung minor hockey in the USA, known for attracting goons—who are actually the league's highest draws.
https://www.federalhockey.com/
#note1czz…vrrd

2026-04-02 20:15:31 CEST

Some people get up in arms about Indians making R&B music.
However, there's a big difference between cultural appropriation and multiculturalism. Cultural appropriation is when you claim something for yourself that isn't yours. Whereas multiculturalism is fusing something from outside your culture into your own that makes it its own thing.
R&B and Indian music has long had a multicultural relationship. Here's a great example of Indian music—specifically, a sitar—being used in R&B, and this song was made in 1974.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsySXzZFAnM
#note1awy…5qwh

2026-04-02 20:06:20 CEST

Love hearing about this South Indian girl's journey into R&B music.
This is a story I'm hearing again and again throughout the world.
Blues music discovered in the Sahara desert. Thai-Gaze is basically its own genre now. And, of course, there's Slavic post-punk.
https://youtu.be/KXh0wZNPpeY

2026-04-02 19:13:27 CEST

Someone actually just made the Asian Scott Pilgrim.
And I’m actually excited for this because Knives Chau really got the short end of the stick in Scott Pilgrim.
Now this isn’t Knives. The protagonist’s name is Lindsey Cheng. But still, she looks like she’s living her best life. Thus undoing the worst thing about Scott Pilgrim.
https://youtu.be/1bRvf78diUs

2026-04-02 09:20:41 CEST

Watched Slap Shot for the first time ever.
Which is surprising since, in Canada, this is considered a “must see” movie.
And this definitely represents a moment in time. Yes, even the homophobia. But also what hockey means in small towns, many which experience strong boom-bust cycles.
This movie was written by Nancy Dowd, who does a great job of accurately capturing hockey culture. A big reason for this is that her brother was a minor league hockey player during the 1970s.

2026-04-02 04:38:13 CEST

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No GOP here, so we're good. Until USA tries to annex us.

2026-04-02 04:04:23 CEST

Can’t stand people who moan and complain about having to use online subscriptions.
NO ONE’S FORCING YOU TO SUBSCRIBE TO ANYTHING!
Don’t want Spotify? Use Bandcamp.
Don’t want to subscribe with Netflix? Rent a movie from Apple. Or whatever, buy a Blu-Ray.
Don’t want to spend money? Use Tubi or YouTube.
We’re so spoiled for choice, it’s beyond comprehension that anyone feels forced to spend money on something they hate.

2026-04-02 03:33:24 CEST

Listen, I can't keep track of every terrible person on social media and all the lore behind them.
I specifically no longer pay attention to Twitter or Facebook, and don't have accounts on either platform.
It's all too much anyway. I'd rather listen to music and play video games.

2026-04-01 22:29:48 CEST

Is Mom Jeans Jeanie the greatest air guitarist of all time?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCsz9SpWYSc

2026-04-01 20:41:40 CEST

Jessie Buckley is *not* the new James Bond!
That's an April Fools prank from Euronews. And I hope Jessie Buckley is in on the joke because, if not, a whole lot of unwarranted social media hate has likely come her way.
But also, I don't want a new James Bond film. I want a new Lara Croft film. The animated Netflix show was nowhere near as good as the 2018 live action flick. Seriously, why was there never a sequel?
https://www.euronews.com/culture/2026/04/01/so-long-daniel-craig-the-identity-of-the-new-james-bond-has-been-revealed

2026-04-01 20:25:42 CEST

It looks like the Thai government is really pushing for worldwide recognition of Thai music, so I imagine that Thai-Gaze will likely become more popular soon.
https://www.nationthailand.com/life/art-culture/40063856
#note14tm…70cm

2026-04-01 20:18:14 CEST

COSMOS Session by Hariguem Zaboy.
Yes, I'm sharing the complete live performance, which includes four songs. And this is the final Thai-Gaze video I'm sharing today because I think it doesn't get better than this.
People say rock n' roll is dead, but it's clearly alive and well in Thailand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DPurQIIcv8
#note1sth…pwrg

2026-04-01 20:11:55 CEST

"Passenger" by VELS.
This Thai-Gaze song almost has a Radiohead feel to it with a tinge of Nine Inch Nails. Lots of stabbing synths and roaring guitar. And the vocals are so perfect.
Why is this so obscure?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkVIOLyR_io
#note1acp…wts2

2026-04-01 20:08:00 CEST

"Dust" by SOY.
This is as experimental as Thai-Gaze music gets. It somehow manages to merge shoegaze, black metal, emo, and dark wave into one cohesive song—with an orchestral feel too.
What I would give to see this band live.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaii_OjFnuI
#note1kyl…878e

2026-04-01 20:01:12 CEST

"Leave" by OCEVN.
This Thai-Gaze track is the polar opposite of Jelly Rocket in that there's no romance at all, just straight up spookiness that doesn't let up. And actually, it's almost heavy metal in its heaviness.
But damn, Thailand has some great rock music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka4jjc48UZc
#note16sv…dnmh

2026-04-01 19:57:55 CEST

"ไม่พอ (Not Enough)" by Jelly Rocket.
This is a more synth-driven Thai-Gaze track. But it has impeccable female harmonies that are reminiscent of Yellow Fang. Also, their music videos also make me jealous of Thai night life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exi3MUqrsuQ
#note172l…68ck

2026-04-01 19:52:20 CEST

"Telekinesis" by Electra Complex.
This Thai-Gaze track goes really hard, and just washes you with loud distortion and reverb. It's definitely music for when you're alone and staring at the stars.
It's grand and beautiful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBuuSU2dAJI
#note19x5…dexx

2026-04-01 19:42:49 CEST

เพียงแค่ถามเธอดู (Can I ask?) by AYLA's
The AYLA's are another Thai-Gaze band that I really dig. They got that shimmering wall of sound that I love so much. And those melodies really soar too.
Also, I feel these Thai-Gaze bands really capture the pull of yearning. It's really beautiful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p_3TRl4jcs
#note1wa2…s6uw

2026-04-01 19:34:16 CEST

Anyone else into Thai-Gaze?
This is a genre of music I got into when I discovered Yellow Fang—which has ended up being my favourite rock band ever.
They go hard and don't let up. So here's a music video of theirs. Today, I'll be sharing more Thai-Gaze because it's amazing music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkhHTNkR8Ik

2026-04-01 08:08:01 CEST

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I got to the end credits. That's good enough for me.

2026-04-01 07:59:32 CEST

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No, I’m leaving this alone.

2026-04-01 07:10:44 CEST

WOW! This is insanity!
Who's responsible for rising RAM prices? One culprit: OpenAI.
They locked up 40% of all DRAM supply—without any obligation to buy any of it! Now that they scrapped plans to expand their data centre in Texas, prices are falling fast!
As a result, suppliers like Micron are in free fall!
https://thedeepdive.ca/openai-locked-up-40-of-global-ram-with-no-obligation-to-buy-any-of-it/

2026-04-01 06:45:12 CEST

I did it!
I beat Slay the Spire!
I’m free to play something else!

2026-04-01 00:33:58 CEST

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Most people want to perform activism instead of being actual activists.
Political affiliation is less about beliefs and more about cultural signalling.
Everything I’m saying is obvious but for my own sanity, I need to say it.

2026-04-01 00:21:23 CEST

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CORRECTION: it’s overrun with AIs telling me that I’m AI because I used an em-dash.

2026-04-01 00:20:20 CEST

Wow! The reviews of Super Mario Galaxy are absolutely brutal.
This Guardian headline calls it a bland screensaver that’s worse than AI.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/mar/31/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-review-sequel-video-game-chris-pratt-charlie-day

2026-04-01 00:03:11 CEST

How do I know that my unpopular opinion is actually unpopular?
When it’s unpopular on r/unpopularopinion.

2026-03-31 21:35:29 CEST

Here's why retrograming has become a subculture.
This symphony orchestra is performing "Arkanoid". Without context, you might think this is some kind of avant-garde piece. It is certainly not conventional.
But listen to the audience reaction, and you'll notice something odd: laughter.
Why is that? Because the orchestra is not merely playing a song. Instead, they are playing the in-game sound effects of the arcade game Arkanoid—the moment the ball collides with the paddle, there's a high-pitched metallic shimmering echo.
The violinists faithfully replicate this by plucking their strings. Not just the pitch, but also the rhythm of the ball's contact.
Then when the player would fail to catch the ball, the orchestra comes into full force for a hypothetical reset. Which then results in the violins plucking their strings again—but this time, the piano joins in for additional colour.
Without playing Arkanoid, you can enjoy this music just fine. But to truly appreciate what is going on, and its internal logic, you need to play the game.
In its own way, this song is not so different from the novel Ulysses by James Joyce. If you read it without context, all right, it's readable. But the actually understand the book, you need to know about Homer's the Odyssey, Shakespeare, Catholic rituals, and Irish politics.
Retrogaming is no longer just a hobby. It's a point of reference for art that wouldn't otherwise exist without it. This is why it's a subculture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7aa7Dajw0M

2026-03-31 20:51:01 CEST

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I think it depends on three questions:
1. Is there a dedicated community around it?
2. Does the community create culture that's only tangentially connected to the hobby?
3. Does community exist because of the hobby or is the hobby just the setting for a community?

2026-03-31 20:35:08 CEST

Subcultures definitely still exist.
I participate in a few of them.
Retrogaming is very much a subculture. It occupies physical spaces—stores and conventions. It has its own media devoted to them. It generates culture: art, music, drama, competition.
I don't even think retrograming is so much about gaming anymore and more about the people who exist around it. Going to a physical arcade, there's a social aspect to that.
Linux is a subculture. It's not about software. It's about values. Which, in turn, provokes code. And code is art.
Locally, I'm keyed into Richmond, BC. Which has its own unique food, ways of talking, and social spots. The Richmond life is about playing badminton in the afternoon, imbibing in hot pot, singing your heart out at a karaoke joint, tying it all up with noodles and Counterstrike at a e-café.

2026-03-31 19:58:51 CEST

I'm tired of this whole "we need to return to analog" panic.
You know why? Because I've never stopped using analog media. I still use actual film. I own three—yes, three—CRT TVs. And I have a big library of vinyl and tape.
Thing is, I don't have all this stuff because of nostalgia. It's always been port of my life, just like books have.
Now do I think the analog world was better than our current digital world? No, not at all.
When analog media was the top echelon, there was still that same anxiety people experience now about digital media. And actually, films like Network and Videodrome key in on that anxiety.
Yes, there was a time when television was looked at as a device that altered our brain chemistry. And actually, I don't think that sentiment is off the mark. My parents often feel like if something is on television, it must have authority.
What I remember about the analog world is just how all of it was owned by a small media clique. My town, Vancouver, had two daily newspapers. Both those newspapers were owned by the same company. There was only one cable company. There were three national TV networks: CBC, CTV, and Global.
Everyone might moan about how the Internet has been captured by Instagram, Reddit, TikTok, and X. And I don't disagree this has become the main engine of culture.
Yet, using your web browser, you can still visit an old-fashioned website. Or hell, participate on the Fediverse. Or send an email. You know, do things that aren't driven by big corporate algorithms.
We didn't have that choice during the 80s and 90s. You couldn't just purchase a fanzine at a newsstand. You had to know someone who was in the know. Same deal with underground movies and music.
The underground existed because it didn't have access to shelf space.
Compare this to now. If I want to hear blues music from the Sahara desert, I can—and it doesn't even cost me money. And the Sahara is as far away from Canada as it gets.
Do I want to return to the old analog world? Not at all. Do I think the current digital world can be improved? Sure. Do I think sometimes people need to do a digital detox and touch grass? Absolutely.
But I sure as hell ain't romanticizing the old world of analog.

2026-03-31 19:29:53 CEST

Tired of the algorithm?
I have a cure: stubbornness.
Do what you want regardless of whether the algorithm likes it or not. Put stuff out there. Be consistent. On your terms.
Don't like the culture? Be your own culture. Instead of passively consuming, actively make stuff.
Stubbornness is how you conquer the algorithm.
#note1l7r…7u4e

2026-03-31 19:20:36 CEST

This is a very Gen Z view of hip hop.
Before Eminem, there was the Beastie Boys, Third Bass, and Everlast. And before that, there was Blondie and Malcolm McLaren. Eminem, himself, even references "Buffalo Gals" in his song "Without Me"—changes it to "trailer park girls".
And before Tyler the Creator, there was Public Enemy. They were essentially the Sex Pistols of hip hop. Were just as impactful too.
Anyway, actual culture doesn't work with this grand narrative. The 2010s wasn't defined by subcultures. Instead, it was defined by microcultures. Vapourwave and witch house didn't occupy a physical space, hasn't hit the mainstream—probably never will. Yet culture gets made because online spaces beyond hegemonic platforms still exist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBz1lSA8Bz4

2026-03-31 09:05:00 CEST

I prefer CDs and tapes over vinyl.
And I say this with the full realization that vinyl is what people associate with audiophile quality.
To that, I say that vinyl is such a pain the ass. There's surface noise. It gathers dust, which you then have to clean. The stylus can degrade the grooves. You have to be precise with speed. You have to ensure the tracking force is just right.
Compare this with a CD. You put it in, no surface noise. They're easy to clean. The laser is light—so just decades 1s and 0s. Even cheap DACs are relatively good, so the worst that can happen is jitter which—while terrible—is rarely a problem anymore. Tracking force? Not even a factor.
Now I will admit that tape can be a greater pain in the ass than vinyl. But what can tape do that vinyl cannot? Record music. It really is just a press of a button, and you can immortalize sound. And if you have *good* tape, the sound can exceed the quality of vinyl.
That said, I tend to listen to vinyl a lot more than anything else. And this is because my daughter *loves* the tactile nature of it. Music is so much better when it's enjoyed with company.

2026-03-31 08:28:20 CEST

I would *kill* to sit with Abey Fonn and pick her brain about the world of high-end audiophile remasters.
This documentary focuses on vinyl pressings, but they also do SACD re-issues—which is the best damn digital music format ever.
https://youtu.be/91VQjrVRU-U

2026-03-31 06:24:41 CEST

Anyone who believes bad punctuation is an antidote to AI slop likely believes a concussion will alleviate forgetfulness.

2026-03-31 06:10:54 CEST

Whenever I see someone hitting the heavy bag, I always feel the urge to tell them to tuck their chin and keep their guard up.
Because if they ever do get in a fight, someone’s going to hunt their head.
But I don’t tell them that because, to them, I’m an old guy—what do I know?

2026-03-31 03:50:49 CEST

The 90s was an incredible time.
Because it was time for Klax.

2026-03-31 03:23:46 CEST

People using bots to accuse others of using LLMs is peak comedy.
But also, these bots aren't very sophisticated because they just look for any post that has multiple paragraphs and em-dashes.
I mean, the least they can do is run text through a GPT detector, right?

2026-03-31 02:16:45 CEST

I am enthralled by New Super Mario Land for the Super Nintendo.
This is Super Mario Land with the graphical stylings of New Super Mario Bros.—yet it runs on SNES hardware.
It means a lot to me. Super Mario Land was the first Mario game that I ever owned. Likewise, the first I ever beat. It's therefore burned into my brain like no other Mario game can be.
But I always felt like it was the red-headed stepchild of the Mario games. I suspect that it's because, unlike other Mario games of its time, this one was *not* produced by Shigeru Miyamoto but, instead, Gunpei Yokoi. Which is why, compared to other Mario games, it is so stylistically different.
What a great Mario game, though. I always loved the level design, which is just as good as any Mario game on the NES. The sprite work is fantastic. And the music is god tier.
Even the shoot-'em-up levels are wonderful, which—to my knowledge—isn't something we ever got in a Mario game ever again.
Well, in 2019, someone ported the game over to SNES. And in many ways, this has fulfilled a dream for me because I always wondered what Super Mario Land would be with colour and a higher resolution. it is glorious.
That said, the poor SNES can't always handle it. Sometimes there's slowness which, to be fair, is something that always plagued the system.
But hearing that great soundtrack paired with the SNES' synths is something else. There's so much more depth to the sound, and really opens things up.
In terms of ports, I put this up there with the C64 version of Super Mario Bros. but for vastly different reasons. Super Mario Bros. 64 is great because it shows that the brown breadbox truly could go toe-to-toe with the NES. But New Super Mario Land shows just what is possible when that game is freed from the monochrome green screen and given some 16-bit graphical prowess.
I truly believe this is one of the best SNES homebrew games ever made.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/e8fc587c2f0a2a483c7d49fd1cc1a2aac2f2aa9b6e0fddce825e2e8436f9da79.png

2026-03-30 23:49:00 CEST

Not going to lie. The SNES homebrew scene is really disappointing.
If your goal is to play new games on old consoles, SNES really lags behind the Genesis.

2026-03-30 22:53:11 CEST

Just got up to speed on the bizarre allegations about Rebel Wilson, and I'm floored.
Allegedly, she hired a PR team to paint a film producer as a sex trafficker—the "Indian Ghislaine Maxwell"—due to a petty personal beef that became a libel lawsuit.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/rebel-wilsons-smear-campaign-leaked-audio-1236527759/

2026-03-30 22:36:47 CEST

If we're being honest, chick lit isn't a fringe genre anymore. And it hasn't been for awhile.
Most readers are female. On average, women read more books than men. 44% of women say that reading fiction is a serious past time, compared to only 30% of men.

2026-03-30 22:18:05 CEST

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If you won't even *try* a book because it was written by a woman, that's pretty odd.

2026-03-30 22:14:16 CEST

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Yeah, this is an ongoing discussion about masculinity and reading. I think it's kind of silly since most men don't read books.
https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/66662/1/liking-any-of-these-10-books-is-an-immediate-red-flag-lolita-american-psycho

2026-03-30 22:04:27 CEST

You know what's weird? Every "red flag book"—you know, the paragons of "dude lit"—that I've read has been recommended to me by women.
That is, I wasn't seeking them out. Chicks in my life thought these books would speak to me. Most often, they were wrong.
I remember minding my own business at work, when he lady who ran HR casually walked up to me, handed me a thick book, and said, "You *must* read Infinite Jest—it will burrow itself deep in your bones."
To be polite, I started it. And it was gruelling. Just a tough, almost impossible slog. But it's still in my possession.
When I was in high school, a super religious Muslim girl—of all people—gifted me On the Road. She gave it to me for two reasons. First, it was aspirational for her, about a life she felt she couldn't live. But also, she wanted to show me that she had that streak about her.
This one I did read but not because I liked the book, but more because I was 16-years-old and really horny. And if, in the event, she quizzed me about what happened in the novel, I'd be able to tell her. Then she'd be so impressed, she'd go do things with me after school.
But won't lie. I find the idea of On the Road more interesting than the finished product. This is one where the events surrounding the book make for a better read than the book itself.
My sister is the one who's gifted me most of the "red flag books". And to this day, she's the only one who's recommended novels that were truly compelling. She got me into Bukowski, Dostoyevsky, and Vonnegut. Not going to lie, each of these authors write some page turners.
I feel like Bukowski is who the Beat writers *wish* they were, but couldn't transmogrify. He was a genuine working class man, often on the edges of poverty, saying things from the heart. I'm not going to pretend he wasn't problematic, but the thing is, most people I know are problematic too.
Dostoyevsky is amazing. That's a man who understands the interior life, that we often become prisoners of our own selves. I don't think he's depressing. I feel he shines light in places where there's often only darkness.
At first, I thought Vonnegut was too navel-gazing. But after awhile, I appreciated the humour. How can you not love a line that goes, "The bombing was considered a success by everyone who had not been there"?
If you're the kind of person who hates those books because they're "red flags," you're concerned way too much about the performance of reading instead of actual reading.
And who gives a damn if men like those books? To this day, I've never met a man who's read these books, only women. And if it speaks to them, good.
As for what I *actually* go out of my way to reads, I'm sorry to disappoint: it's mostly science fiction and fantasy.
I love J.R.R. Tolkien, Isaac Asimov, and Philip K. Dick. Those three authors pretty much defined my teenage years. Also, lots of Star Trek lit, which introduced me to really underrated writers such as Diane Duane and Peter David.
When I got older, I got into the Halo novels. They are based on the video game series. But as nice as the video games are, the books are even better. Which is why it was so tragic when the TV show couldn't reach the glory of the books.
Amazon has exposed me to a number of writers that "serious" book lovers ignore. I love Glynn Stewart, who's made a number of great universes. The most notable being Starship's Mage, which is not so much science fiction as space sorcery fiction.
John Swartzwelder, a writer of 59 Simpsons episodes, has written a number of hilarious crime parodies starring Frank Burly. Whenever he drops one, I pick it up. They're incredibly addictive.
Right now, I'm reading Tea & Alchemy by Sharon Lynn Fisher which is a fantasy thriller with some romance in it. It's my second time through it. The setting and characters are spell-binding.
Are these books "red flags"? I don't know. But also, why should anyone care?

2026-03-30 07:55:27 CEST

@npub19lc…l9lh I know.

2026-03-28 19:47:20 CET

One of the best things about kids is that you get to watch them have an experience for the first time.
Today, I introduced her to an Italian soda, and she absolutely loved it.

2026-03-28 02:59:45 CET

I’m over at Quazar’s Arcade in Victoria, BC.
They got great pinball machines!
https://atomicpoet.org/media/31d6aa6463b110dbbe0c50785df23795190bd8dbded2f75bd0dde03bc8fa63d2.jpeg

2026-03-27 06:09:31 CET

President’s Choice non-alcoholic rosé wine.
Just fancy grape juice. The word “fancy” doing a lot of heavy lifting.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/e3e67bf75da7bbb1c0f630a0330a8cfb5415b2b02666a62168d7163e3c2e20ce.jpeg

2026-03-27 04:18:04 CET

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All right, I won't rename her.

2026-03-27 04:15:02 CET

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Now that is a cool cat!

2026-03-27 04:12:36 CET

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What does a robo-kitty look like? And how is one different from our cat?

2026-03-27 04:03:56 CET

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Do you know that CatGPT has a microchip inside of her?

2026-03-27 04:01:48 CET

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So you're saying CatGPT is for robokitties.
Aren't you a big fan of robokitties?

2026-03-27 03:57:47 CET

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Yeah, she's definitely a cat, which is why CatGPT is a great name.

2026-03-27 03:55:43 CET

Renaming my pet.
Her new name is CatGPT.

2026-03-26 23:52:20 CET

Italians’ biggest legacy in Vancouver is not organized crime.
It’s architecture and sports.
Bruno Freschi changed Vancouver’s skyline. He designed the Expo Centre for Expo 86, the geodesic dome now known as Science World. He also helped transform False Creek from an industrial wasteland into something livable. Another notable design is the Ismaili Centre in Burnaby, which is considered a masterpiece of Islamic architecture.
Oberto Oberti is another notable Vancouver architect who helped give Coal Harbour its aesthetic. He was one of the pioneers of Vancouver urbanism, which is a big reason the city became known as the “City of Glass.”
Many of Vancouver’s highest-profile real estate developers are also Italian. That includes the Bosa, De Cotiis, and Gaglardi families.
Sports is another major way Italians have left their mark on Vancouver.
Lui Passaglia was a local who played 25 years for the BC Lions and became the CFL’s all-time points leader. Bob Lenarduzzi is a local legend who helped the Whitecaps win their lone soccer championship and also helped bring Canada to the World Cup for the first time. Jack Bionda, also from Vancouver, is commonly regarded as the greatest lacrosse player of all time.
Sometimes those worlds overlap. Francesco Aquilini, for example, is a real estate magnate who also owns the Vancouver Canucks.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/b1141b71100db878df29fa334a68d302c4bbbd50aa0bea83efa2680cc0cbe9b1.png

2026-03-26 22:56:48 CET

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Well, I mean it’s “not mafia” in the same sense that "I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!" is butter. It looks like butter. It tastes like butter. But it’s actually margarine.
And "not mafia" in the sense it didn't operate on a Cosa Nostra model: formal families, initiation, hierarchy, internal codes, and restricted membership.
And fair point on omertà. I was using it more loosely to mean the kind of codified secrecy and internal discipline people associate with a secret society like Cosa Nostra, not secrecy in the broader literal sense.
So yeah, mafia-like. Just not that specific model.

2026-03-26 22:09:36 CET

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What do you think about this wild slice of Vancouver history?

2026-03-26 20:43:48 CET

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Both men who realized that the most powerful form of organized crime is the one that becomes a functional department of the city itself.

2026-03-26 20:06:29 CET

Vancouver has long had organized crime. So why didn’t the Italian mafia ever really take root here?
Because Joe Celona, a local Italian crime boss, did something completely outrageous: he effectively partnered with the Vancouver Police Department and used them to do his dirty work.
In 1919, Celona arrived in Vancouver and opened a cigar shop. It became popular with politicians and police. But behind that legitimate front, he was also running brothels and gambling dens, most notably out of the Somerset Hotel, now the Washington Hotel.
Joe’s success was almost anti-mafia in structure. Instead of relying on *omertà*, the code of secrecy, he made himself highly visible. His pitch to police was simple: make me the vice king, and I’ll keep everyone else in line.
Cash, of course, helped sell that arrangement.
So when other organized crime outfits showed up in town, Joe would first send his brothers—his actual family—to have a “polite discussion.” If that didn’t work, the police would show up as muscle and drive them out.
The other key to Joe’s success is that he didn’t really run a traditional mafia. He ran something closer to a franchise model. He didn’t care whether his partners were Italian. He cared whether they made money.
A lot of his operations were run by madams like Gussie Hall and local bookies who paid Joe a fee. In return, he offered the most valuable commodity in the city: police protection.
So when the Black Hand arrived in Vancouver, Joe shut it down. He understood that the real money wasn’t in extorting honest bakers. It was in licensing the criminals. In other words, the Italian mafia was bad for business.
To make sure it never came back, Joe also worked to marginalize the hoodlum element in Vancouver’s Italian community by becoming its patron. He helped immigrants with paperwork, found people jobs, settled disputes, and founded St. Giorgio’s Social Club in Strathcona.
Joe ran Vancouver’s underworld for more than 30 years. Paradoxically, the key to that longevity was visibility. It was an open secret that Joe Celona was Vancouver’s vice king. He was investigated more than once, but enforcement was suspiciously lax.
Gerry McGeer even ran for mayor on a “War on Crime” platform aimed directly at Celona. Joe was finally convicted in 1935 and sentenced to 10 years, but he was back on the street in 5. Once released, he resumed his role as vice king, just with less public visibility.
It all finally started to collapse in 1955 with what became known as the Mulligan Affair.
Reporter Ray Munro, frustrated by the silence of Vancouver’s local press, published a series of sensational exposés in the Toronto tabloid *Flash*, calling Vancouver a “Gangland Eden.”
In those stories, he alleged that Vancouver Police Chief Walter Mulligan and his inner circle were effectively doubling their salaries through weekly envelopes of cash. In exchange for “protection,” gambling dens like the Mushroom Patch and bootlegging operations tied to Joe Celona were allowed to operate openly.
After the exposé dropped, Detective Sergeant Len Cuthbert, one of Chief Mulligan’s insiders, tried to kill himself with his service revolver. He survived and later became a star witness against Mulligan.
That led to the Tupper Commission. Public hearings began, but midway through them, Chief Mulligan abandoned his post and fled to California. He spent the rest of his life as a bus dispatcher and nurseryman, never held accountable for what he’d done.
In the end, the inquiry concluded that Mulligan and others were “criminally corrupt.” But the Attorney General still ruled there was “insufficient evidence” for criminal prosecution.
As for Joe Celona, he was never charged either. He retired to Oak Bay in Victoria and died a free man, never spending a day in prison for his role in the scandal.
Here’s the irony.
A traditional Italian mafia never took hold in Vancouver because *other* crooked Italians got there first.
They profited from organized crime. They just saw a formal mafia as bad for business. Why rely on street hoodlums when the police are more efficient?
To this day, there are still local Italians involved in organized crime in Vancouver. But instead of working through a distinct Italian crime family, they tend to plug into biker gangs and multi-ethnic syndicates like the UN Gang or Wolfpack Alliance.

2026-03-26 09:25:39 CET

I am completely done with Slay the Spire.
I’ve sunk 51 hours into this. Which might seem like a drop in the bucket compared to people who’ve spent years of their life on WoW. But this is enough for me.
Nevertheless, if you want an opinion: Slay the Spire is addictive. Thank God it doesn’t have microtransactions because some people would lose lots of money if that happened. So hats off to devs for this being a complete and affordable game.
Part of what makes it so addictive is that it doesn’t demand your attention. You can just make moves when you feel like it. And therein lies the trap.
Because while you’re watching TV, washing dishes, or waiting at a restaurant, sometimes you get the urge to go a round. And before you know it, you’ve lost an hour.

2026-03-26 02:55:12 CET

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Willie Sutton, I believe.

2026-03-26 01:48:30 CET

UN Gang leader Clayton Roueche will be released from U.S. prison next year.
So I suspect that Vancouver's ongoing gang war is about to get worse. Because it's been ongoing for 25 years and it has not stopped.
#note13py…32qc

2026-03-26 01:33:04 CET

Many people are surprised by Ryan Wedding.
Specifically, they’re surprised that a white, upper-class former Canadian Olympian would be compared to Pablo Escobar. But I’m not.
Ryan Wedding is from Vancouver. And the thing about organized crime in Vancouver is that so much of it is run by white upper-class people.
There isn’t much of an Italian mafia here. And I don’t know much about Crips or Bloods here either. But Vancouver, being a port city, still attracts organized crime.
We’ve got biker gangs, Triads, Indian gangs.
But also—in a very Canadian way—multicultural gangs. For example, the UN Gang, which prides itself on including people from multiple ethnicities: whites, Vietnamese, Indians, Arabs, etc.
And who started the UN Gang? Clayton Roeche. A rich white dude with an Asian obsession.
And who are the UN Gang’s main rivals? The Wolfpack Alliance, which is another multi-ethnic gang. And the people who helped start that were the Bacon Brothers of the Red Scorpions and Larry Amero of the Hells Angels. Once again, well-to-do white dudes.
Ryan Wedding is linked to the Wolfpack Alliance, who in turn are allied with the Sinaloa Cartel.
So the real story here isn’t that Ryan Wedding is some wild exception. It’s that rich white Canadian men involved in street gangs are working in tandem with Mexican cartels.

2026-03-25 22:29:32 CET

So I gave Molson Exel a shot.
Don’t like this non-alcoholic beer as much as others. Not as terrible as the Budweiser NA. It’s drinkable at least.
But they added caramel, which makes this too sweet for my liking. Low calorie but the sugar content is high.
https://atomicpoet.org/media/e4bedf5afb31ebdb7d90a8ea8ac5082ae4383a299e4be08768f6d18d08bf67f1.jpeg

2026-03-25 18:21:49 CET

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Fascinating. Different from the Chloe Chan version but uploaded in January.

2026-03-25 05:57:31 CET

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I remember my people still being scandalized by that song in the 90s, as they saw it as “glorifying” transgender people.

2026-03-25 05:54:19 CET

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All right.

2026-03-25 05:46:45 CET

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Sorry, I thought it was obvious. Nevertheless, I’m not trying to cyber stalk anyone or invade their privacy.

2026-03-25 05:41:07 CET

Is the song “Lola” transphobic?
Maybe, that’s for the transgender community to decide.
However, Moby is a terrible messenger for this considering how he supposedly “dated” Natalie Portman—she disputes this—when she was 18-years-old.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/mar/23/kinks-guitarist-dave-davies-hits-back-at-moby-about-lola-transphobic

2026-03-25 05:33:08 CET

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Obviously, I’d like to know who Chloe Chan is so I can hear more of her music.

2026-03-25 05:32:27 CET

OpenAI shutting down Sora is the first major capitulation in the AI industry.
AI isn’t over, though.
More and more, it seems Google is challenging OpenAI.
https://www.ign.com/articles/openai-shuts-down-sora-generative-video-app-disney-pulls-out-of-investment-and-licensing-deal

2026-03-24 23:48:55 CET

Really sucks when you hear amazing music that touches you personally, but it's so god damn obscure that no one except me knows anything about it.
And what I do know is just so God damn little that it might as well be nothing.
Who is Chloe Chan? She's a rare songbird who surfaced once, then vanished without a trace.
#note1fju…0lgc

2026-03-24 22:03:34 CET

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There was no reason to delist Unreal. Even if they don't want it on Steam, why not at least make it available on their own game store?