Ben Watts
@benwatts.me
Runner, lifter of heavy circles, baker, cocktail enthusiast, product designer in Ottawa. 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
This is not a country run by serious people. 😂
Marco Rubio ordered diplomats to return to using Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor's decision to adopt Calibri a “wasteful” diversity move
Rubio Stages Font Coup: Times New Roman Ousts Calibri
The secretary of state called it a "wasteful" diversity move, according to an internal department cable seen by Reuters.
www.huffpost.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:06 PM
This is not a country run by serious people. 😂
Reposted by Ben Watts
Everything else aside, a veteran politician wrote a whole op-ed about how the failures of city policies he identifies are the fault of the people who, unlike him, vote against those policies.
And here’s the kicker: Tierney’s vote, the mayor’s vote, and all the like-minded councillors always have the numbers. They win. Every time.
So if their approach is always the one implemented… how are things not improving, Tim? 17/
So if their approach is always the one implemented… how are things not improving, Tim? 17/
December 9, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Everything else aside, a veteran politician wrote a whole op-ed about how the failures of city policies he identifies are the fault of the people who, unlike him, vote against those policies.
Century homes are fun, until you consider the random assortment of rocks your house sit on aren’t amazing insulators when it’s -20° 🥲
December 5, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Century homes are fun, until you consider the random assortment of rocks your house sit on aren’t amazing insulators when it’s -20° 🥲
The mysterious and always-closed game shop near Preston & Elm has become…
🥁
…another vape shop!
🥁
…another vape shop!
December 2, 2025 at 9:37 PM
The mysterious and always-closed game shop near Preston & Elm has become…
🥁
…another vape shop!
🥁
…another vape shop!
Participated in a 24h fundraising Rowathon over the weekend for the Ottawa food bank. Our team rowed over 250k in 5min shifts.
I’ve got some sleep debt to pay off. 🥱
I’ve got some sleep debt to pay off. 🥱
November 17, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Participated in a 24h fundraising Rowathon over the weekend for the Ottawa food bank. Our team rowed over 250k in 5min shifts.
I’ve got some sleep debt to pay off. 🥱
I’ve got some sleep debt to pay off. 🥱
If I don’t repeatedly sample the candy I bought to give out on Halloween, how can I be sure of its quality??
October 27, 2025 at 1:02 PM
If I don’t repeatedly sample the candy I bought to give out on Halloween, how can I be sure of its quality??
Reposted by Ben Watts
No correct aspect ratio upload to be found on YouTube, and I could be more rigorous about my editing, but I genuinely think this is some of the funniest 106 seconds in comedy history, and definitely in my top five Simpsons jokes.
October 23, 2025 at 5:15 AM
No correct aspect ratio upload to be found on YouTube, and I could be more rigorous about my editing, but I genuinely think this is some of the funniest 106 seconds in comedy history, and definitely in my top five Simpsons jokes.
The AQHI is merely 2, but it's smokey enough to be triggering my stupid interconnected smoke alarms throughout the house. 😫
October 19, 2025 at 8:00 PM
The AQHI is merely 2, but it's smokey enough to be triggering my stupid interconnected smoke alarms throughout the house. 😫
This icon collision in iOS Safari 🤢
October 1, 2025 at 12:57 PM
This icon collision in iOS Safari 🤢
"It's not against the law to go a little over the speed limit" is so weird to hear from seemingly rational people (re: speed cameras). It says "MAXIMUM" on the sign, and we know "a little over the limit" doesn't mean going 53 in 50.
September 26, 2025 at 1:07 PM
"It's not against the law to go a little over the speed limit" is so weird to hear from seemingly rational people (re: speed cameras). It says "MAXIMUM" on the sign, and we know "a little over the limit" doesn't mean going 53 in 50.
Why would an elevator have a self destruct sequence?? #AlienEarth
September 24, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Why would an elevator have a self destruct sequence?? #AlienEarth
It’s wild how long it’s taken them to add workout creation to the iOS Fitness app. Trying to make a workout on the watch was so frustrating
September 15, 2025 at 6:42 PM
It’s wild how long it’s taken them to add workout creation to the iOS Fitness app. Trying to make a workout on the watch was so frustrating
Phew. No need to upgrade the cloth 😮💨
Apple's Polishing Cloth now supports iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and Apple Watch Ultra 3
September 12, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Phew. No need to upgrade the cloth 😮💨
Reposted by Ben Watts
The assassination of Charlie Kirk makes we worry we can no longer have peaceful discussions of whether gays should be stoned to death or civil and collegial debates about whether black people are inherently inferior. Our culture will suffer.
New York Times tomorrow
New York Times tomorrow
September 11, 2025 at 10:35 PM
The assassination of Charlie Kirk makes we worry we can no longer have peaceful discussions of whether gays should be stoned to death or civil and collegial debates about whether black people are inherently inferior. Our culture will suffer.
New York Times tomorrow
New York Times tomorrow
Went on a run this afternoon. The 6.5k route I chose has a mere 2 lighted intersections.
A car blatantly ran the red light at each. One was a few inches away from me as I was *walking* across the intersection.
Ontario (and Quebec) need MORE automated traffic enforcement, not less.
A car blatantly ran the red light at each. One was a few inches away from me as I was *walking* across the intersection.
Ontario (and Quebec) need MORE automated traffic enforcement, not less.
September 11, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Went on a run this afternoon. The 6.5k route I chose has a mere 2 lighted intersections.
A car blatantly ran the red light at each. One was a few inches away from me as I was *walking* across the intersection.
Ontario (and Quebec) need MORE automated traffic enforcement, not less.
A car blatantly ran the red light at each. One was a few inches away from me as I was *walking* across the intersection.
Ontario (and Quebec) need MORE automated traffic enforcement, not less.
Activated a new credit card this evening. Tried making my first purchase on Amazon. Card was immediately locked and flagged for fraud, apparently? I've been on hold for 2h now waiting to speak with someone to resolve the issue.
I've been on hold longer than I've had a functional card ...🥲
I've been on hold longer than I've had a functional card ...🥲
August 15, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Activated a new credit card this evening. Tried making my first purchase on Amazon. Card was immediately locked and flagged for fraud, apparently? I've been on hold for 2h now waiting to speak with someone to resolve the issue.
I've been on hold longer than I've had a functional card ...🥲
I've been on hold longer than I've had a functional card ...🥲
Turning left on the bike here always feels like taking my life into my hands. Kinda wish there were aggressive speed bumps before and after this tunnel entrance cuz few people slow down or are expecting merging here.
August 7, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Turning left on the bike here always feels like taking my life into my hands. Kinda wish there were aggressive speed bumps before and after this tunnel entrance cuz few people slow down or are expecting merging here.
Pretty underwhelming WWDC keynote today, eh? Very incremental improvements. Nothing bad, but aside from iPadOS *almost* turning into MacOS nothing wowed me.
June 9, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Pretty underwhelming WWDC keynote today, eh? Very incremental improvements. Nothing bad, but aside from iPadOS *almost* turning into MacOS nothing wowed me.
Forecast is: 2nd hand smoke 🫠 🔥
June 6, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Forecast is: 2nd hand smoke 🫠 🔥
Not a thought between those eyes
June 5, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Not a thought between those eyes
So excited for this. m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbsi...
Alien: Earth | Official Trailer | FX
YouTube video by FX Networks
m.youtube.com
June 5, 2025 at 4:24 PM
So excited for this. m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbsi...
Reposted by Ben Watts
*slowly slides PBJ under seat*
June 4, 2025 at 12:55 PM
*slowly slides PBJ under seat*
So this happened at the same intersection *again*. Guy stopped to let me cross, but this time cars were coming from the opposite direction. Dude *waited for those cars to pass* and waved me across, meanwhile, cars were backing up behind him 🤦♂️
Car stopped to let me and the dog cross at an intersection without a crosswalk on Preston… which, while nice, was completely unnecessary (I was only waiting for that car to pass before crossing). I shook my head and waved them along. The driver got mad at me… 🫠
Just be a predictable driver?
Just be a predictable driver?
June 2, 2025 at 3:10 PM
So this happened at the same intersection *again*. Guy stopped to let me cross, but this time cars were coming from the opposite direction. Dude *waited for those cars to pass* and waved me across, meanwhile, cars were backing up behind him 🤦♂️
Wild thunderstorm. Wish we didn’t plant a bunch of our veggies about an hour before…
May 30, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Wild thunderstorm. Wish we didn’t plant a bunch of our veggies about an hour before…
Thinking about the signs I saw spectators hold yesterday during the race weekend ½. So many fun ones.
The Mario “tap to power up” signage might be overdone, tho. Felt like I saw 5+ variations of them. People go out of their way to tap them, I got cut off more than once 😅
The Mario “tap to power up” signage might be overdone, tho. Felt like I saw 5+ variations of them. People go out of their way to tap them, I got cut off more than once 😅
May 26, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Thinking about the signs I saw spectators hold yesterday during the race weekend ½. So many fun ones.
The Mario “tap to power up” signage might be overdone, tho. Felt like I saw 5+ variations of them. People go out of their way to tap them, I got cut off more than once 😅
The Mario “tap to power up” signage might be overdone, tho. Felt like I saw 5+ variations of them. People go out of their way to tap them, I got cut off more than once 😅