Benjamin Sharma 🇨🇦 🇺🇸
@benjamin.bsky.social
Torontonian by birth and residence. Canadian and American by nationality. Fan of history, liberal democracy, and our constitutional monarchy. Also a fan of the Leafs, Jays, Bills, and Raps. Plays video games from time to time.
This seems weird.
December 29, 2025 at 10:58 PM
This seems weird.
This could have been our year!
Kind of shocking how mediocre the Eastern Conference is this year. Worst Leafs season in a decade. Second last in the conference.... 2 points out of a playoff spot.
December 29, 2025 at 3:37 PM
This could have been our year!
I miss the cheap Indian buffets of my youth. (Now Indian food is high class and expensive, darn it all.)
DO PEOPLE NOT REALIZE THAT THE PICTURE IS FAKE
Small Business are closing, my favorite restaurants in my area are closing or are already closed.
Corporate own restaurants can afford to pay high cost of food.
Corporate own restaurants can afford to pay high cost of food.
December 27, 2025 at 7:40 PM
I miss the cheap Indian buffets of my youth. (Now Indian food is high class and expensive, darn it all.)
Obsessions of heads of state have real consequences — see Kaiser Wilhelm II and the Anglo-German naval race. (Still think the Kaiser is the best historical analogue for the current president.)
Imagine if Germany had maintained the Reinsurance Treaty and also stayed friendly with Britain!
Imagine if Germany had maintained the Reinsurance Treaty and also stayed friendly with Britain!
But it's hard to address that question without openly acknowledging that the President has taken leave of his senses, and the only real task is somehow grappling with that and minimizing the damage (or, alternatively, exploiting it for advantage).
December 27, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Obsessions of heads of state have real consequences — see Kaiser Wilhelm II and the Anglo-German naval race. (Still think the Kaiser is the best historical analogue for the current president.)
Imagine if Germany had maintained the Reinsurance Treaty and also stayed friendly with Britain!
Imagine if Germany had maintained the Reinsurance Treaty and also stayed friendly with Britain!
Mildly worried about SCOTUS on this one.
We’ll see.
We’ll see.
The Supreme Court has announced that it’s going to hear arguments on President Trump’s order rescinding birthright citizenship. The text and history ought to make this an open-and-shut case. bit.ly/40oplbc
Presidents Can’t End Birthright Citizenship
President Trump's executive order is almost certain to be struck down.
www.brennancenter.org
December 27, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Mildly worried about SCOTUS on this one.
We’ll see.
We’ll see.
As @yuanyiz.bsky.social said on the other platform, “(t)he Danish Army was busy dying in Afghanistan and Iraq, a blunder I trust they will never repeat.”
Denmark lost more troops per capita in the post 9/11 war on Afghanistan. Saying they “are not a good ally” because they won’t surrender their territories to the US is lunacy. We are betraying our allies to satisfy the whims of a would-be Emperor for whom the US is not enough.
They’re again advocating against Denmark when it comes to Greenland
December 27, 2025 at 6:15 PM
As @yuanyiz.bsky.social said on the other platform, “(t)he Danish Army was busy dying in Afghanistan and Iraq, a blunder I trust they will never repeat.”
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
“a crazed mob wanted to literally kill her and she’s mad we didn’t denounce the guy who set it all in motion. psh. women.”
Well... yeah.
December 26, 2025 at 10:11 PM
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Pretty sure this is one of the outdoor locations for EA‘s NHL game.
This is pond hockey in Canada //
A couple kids pass the puck around on Lake Louise.
#hockey #lakelouise #banff #mountain
#mountains #photography #nature
#landscape #landscapephotography
#rockymountains #alberta #canada
#nationalpark #nationalparks
A couple kids pass the puck around on Lake Louise.
#hockey #lakelouise #banff #mountain
#mountains #photography #nature
#landscape #landscapephotography
#rockymountains #alberta #canada
#nationalpark #nationalparks
December 24, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Pretty sure this is one of the outdoor locations for EA‘s NHL game.
I did generally enjoy Coke floats when I’ve had them in old diners, so this really shouldn’t surprise me.
UPDATE: hoo boy Sobeys eggnog and Dr Pepper Zero is the thing in my life I didn't know I needed
December 23, 2025 at 9:29 PM
I did generally enjoy Coke floats when I’ve had them in old diners, so this really shouldn’t surprise me.
Public golf courses, and public parks/greenspace in general, are a good thing.
Public greenspaces also should be closed to the public from midnight to 5AM each night, helping them remain public greenspace and not commandeered for other uses.
Public greenspaces also should be closed to the public from midnight to 5AM each night, helping them remain public greenspace and not commandeered for other uses.
very specific to DC complaint here but when trump is threatening to take over the city's historically significant public golf courses so he can privatize them and make them another getaway for the 1% i don't think going "well maybe they shouldnt be golf courses to begin with" is helpful or realistic
December 23, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Public golf courses, and public parks/greenspace in general, are a good thing.
Public greenspaces also should be closed to the public from midnight to 5AM each night, helping them remain public greenspace and not commandeered for other uses.
Public greenspaces also should be closed to the public from midnight to 5AM each night, helping them remain public greenspace and not commandeered for other uses.
So the issue pointed out in this piece, that Google is seen as authoritative from its search engine days while its AI aggregation makes errors — this is something that will fix itself. We will start to be skeptical about why Google gives us.
(Which is bad for Google, but you guys did this.)
(Which is bad for Google, but you guys did this.)
New from me: The storied fiddler Ashley MacIsaac wanted to play a show at a Nova Scotia First Nation. It got cancelled because Google's AI search summary incorrectly called him a sex offender. Now he's worried for his safety www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/arti...
Fiddler Ashley MacIsaac has show cancelled over Google AI-generated misinformation
Cape Breton musician was set to perform in Nova Scotia before a search summary incorrectly described him as a sex offender
www.theglobeandmail.com
December 23, 2025 at 4:37 PM
So the issue pointed out in this piece, that Google is seen as authoritative from its search engine days while its AI aggregation makes errors — this is something that will fix itself. We will start to be skeptical about why Google gives us.
(Which is bad for Google, but you guys did this.)
(Which is bad for Google, but you guys did this.)
Look if I’m sent an episode of a show I paid for, I’m posting the episode!
American media’s cowardice no match for Canadian media’s incompetence
American media’s cowardice no match for Canadian media’s incompetence
TORONTO – As CBS News under Bari Weiss leads the charge of American media kowtowing to the Trump administration by deleting a story about the torture of migrants, there is one thing they didn’t count ...
thebeaverton.com
December 23, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Look if I’m sent an episode of a show I paid for, I’m posting the episode!
So this afternoon is between the captains of Team Canada and Team USA in the Four Nations (and possibly the Olympics), and what are we consumed with? Leafs coaching drama.
December 23, 2025 at 3:38 PM
So this afternoon is between the captains of Team Canada and Team USA in the Four Nations (and possibly the Olympics), and what are we consumed with? Leafs coaching drama.
It had to be done. But more has to be done.
Savard was well paid as a player and all coaches and assistants who are fired get fully paid for their contracts, so don’t worry TOO much, but he’s apparently a great guy and one never likes to see people lose their jobs.
Savard was well paid as a player and all coaches and assistants who are fired get fully paid for their contracts, so don’t worry TOO much, but he’s apparently a great guy and one never likes to see people lose their jobs.
Why the Maple Leafs fired Marc Savard, and what comes next:
Toronto Maple Leafs fire assistant coach Marc Savard: What it means, what’s next
Savard was responsible for the power play, which currently ranks dead last in the league.
www.nytimes.com
December 23, 2025 at 12:46 AM
It had to be done. But more has to be done.
Savard was well paid as a player and all coaches and assistants who are fired get fully paid for their contracts, so don’t worry TOO much, but he’s apparently a great guy and one never likes to see people lose their jobs.
Savard was well paid as a player and all coaches and assistants who are fired get fully paid for their contracts, so don’t worry TOO much, but he’s apparently a great guy and one never likes to see people lose their jobs.
Fell down a rabbit hole of artists covering other artists’ hits, and it’s a lot of fun.
youtu.be/9LiI6poe3QE
youtu.be/9LiI6poe3QE
Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande - Don't Dream It's Over (One Love Manchester)
YouTube video by BBC Music
youtu.be
December 20, 2025 at 5:42 AM
Fell down a rabbit hole of artists covering other artists’ hits, and it’s a lot of fun.
youtu.be/9LiI6poe3QE
youtu.be/9LiI6poe3QE
I will enjoy this.
Played through the prologue with the fan patch a year and change ago, then decided to wait.
So once I’ve played the story demo (prologue), I’ll no longer have played ahead in fan translation.
Played through the prologue with the fan patch a year and change ago, then decided to wait.
So once I’ve played the story demo (prologue), I’ll no longer have played ahead in fan translation.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon demo is up:
US PSN:
Story buff.ly/dUCV8TD
Battle (PS4/PS5 exclusive) buff.ly/4xlJVSu
Story demo:
Steam buff.ly/3SOjZ2N
US eShop buff.ly/z9Fg1nP
Save data carries to full game
US PSN:
Story buff.ly/dUCV8TD
Battle (PS4/PS5 exclusive) buff.ly/4xlJVSu
Story demo:
Steam buff.ly/3SOjZ2N
US eShop buff.ly/z9Fg1nP
Save data carries to full game
December 19, 2025 at 9:25 PM
I will enjoy this.
Played through the prologue with the fan patch a year and change ago, then decided to wait.
So once I’ve played the story demo (prologue), I’ll no longer have played ahead in fan translation.
Played through the prologue with the fan patch a year and change ago, then decided to wait.
So once I’ve played the story demo (prologue), I’ll no longer have played ahead in fan translation.
Convinced people are now trolling him with wrong jerseys.
December 19, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Convinced people are now trolling him with wrong jerseys.
AI’s a good facilitator, it’s a shitty replacement; execs should make it clear that they’re using it to help, not replace. (Unless they’re using it to replace, in which case they’ll get the backlash.)
What gets me about executives at movie/videogame studios being taken aback at consumer backlash to AI is that they seem genuinely surprised that we like the human beings that make the things that we like
December 17, 2025 at 8:49 PM
AI’s a good facilitator, it’s a shitty replacement; execs should make it clear that they’re using it to help, not replace. (Unless they’re using it to replace, in which case they’ll get the backlash.)
I guess they did want to win one for Joe Bowen?
December 17, 2025 at 2:46 AM
I guess they did want to win one for Joe Bowen?
I knew Rob Reiner had done some good material, but I did not know that all of “This is Spinal Tap”, “The Princess Bride”, “When Harry Met Sally”, “Misery”, and “A Few Good Men” were done by the same person in less than a decade. (Along with a few more films.)
That is an insane run.
That is an insane run.
December 15, 2025 at 8:32 PM
I knew Rob Reiner had done some good material, but I did not know that all of “This is Spinal Tap”, “The Princess Bride”, “When Harry Met Sally”, “Misery”, and “A Few Good Men” were done by the same person in less than a decade. (Along with a few more films.)
That is an insane run.
That is an insane run.
I view it more as personal preference at this point.
I have a normie Twitter account for keeping up with a few people I want. I have a games-oriented account for that stuff. And I post here because I prefer the crowd here (of those who aren’t blocking me preemptively). No great moral choice.
I have a normie Twitter account for keeping up with a few people I want. I have a games-oriented account for that stuff. And I post here because I prefer the crowd here (of those who aren’t blocking me preemptively). No great moral choice.
IMO it's hard to combat the dangerousness of the right by participating in a platform where they aren't present.
I think the best way to explain the X vs Bluesky preference is whether a person thinks the left is more annoying than the right is dangerous.
The reason so many Noah Smiths end up on the X side of that equation is that while the left annoys them personally, the right mostly endangers other people.
The reason so many Noah Smiths end up on the X side of that equation is that while the left annoys them personally, the right mostly endangers other people.
December 15, 2025 at 7:34 PM
I view it more as personal preference at this point.
I have a normie Twitter account for keeping up with a few people I want. I have a games-oriented account for that stuff. And I post here because I prefer the crowd here (of those who aren’t blocking me preemptively). No great moral choice.
I have a normie Twitter account for keeping up with a few people I want. I have a games-oriented account for that stuff. And I post here because I prefer the crowd here (of those who aren’t blocking me preemptively). No great moral choice.
About 45/47 and the Reiner deaths — that sort of public statement is why I keep an account on Truth Social that follows precisely one account, in order to check whether what’s being forwarded actually reflects reality.
December 15, 2025 at 5:56 PM
About 45/47 and the Reiner deaths — that sort of public statement is why I keep an account on Truth Social that follows precisely one account, in order to check whether what’s being forwarded actually reflects reality.
Not justifying any of the stuff Stateside but if I lived downtown I’d probably get and carry a US passport card. (ie it causes damage to the passport book to be carried everywhere, and ICE plainly doesn’t recognize the enhanced driver’s licences, so…)
(I do have both a passport card and book.)
(I do have both a passport card and book.)
December 15, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Not justifying any of the stuff Stateside but if I lived downtown I’d probably get and carry a US passport card. (ie it causes damage to the passport book to be carried everywhere, and ICE plainly doesn’t recognize the enhanced driver’s licences, so…)
(I do have both a passport card and book.)
(I do have both a passport card and book.)
They were neat, but it’s a limited market…
Arcade1Up is apparently shutting down (no official statement yet from Arcade1Up) www.reddit.com/r/Arcade1Up/...
December 13, 2025 at 6:29 PM
They were neat, but it’s a limited market…