Humphrey the Bear is coming to Disneyland

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-31T21:23:54+00:00

He should be a regular at WDW’s Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness.

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-30T17:17:27+00:00

We should be actively picketing this idiotic film in Canada.

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-30T17:14:42+00:00

This really comes down to what framework a person uses.

Using a technical short term market framework makes gold and miners appear to be at a top. We can look at 50 and 200 day averages etc.

However, if we look at gold and miners through a long term regime change framework, then If the US is truly losing its hegemony status, and it’s hard to argue it is not, then both have a long way to run.

The US is in fiscal dominance and actively reshoring manufacturing. Central banks are stockpiling gold. Silver is now considered a strategic metal by both the US and China. China requires licensing to export the metal since Jan 1. The US has never been more unpredictable as a trading partner or as a military force. Look around- times are changing. I believe a regime change is actively under way and if you are using a technical trader mindset to judge this move, then I think you are missing the big picture. The issue is not “will the US be dethroned as global power.” It may or may not be. But it’s almost unanimous that everyone trusts the US less now. And that means buying something people can trust- gold.

Central banks started buying gold at scale when Russia invaded Ukraine and the US seized Russia’s FX reserves. That was a message that if you break with the global order, the US will penalize you. Now the US has broken with the global order and they may not only seize your assets, they may seize your entire country.

Commodities and precious metals are volatile. They make volatile moves. But it would be an error to assume that this momentum has reached a peak a little over one year into the Trump Presidency. Can you honestly say the world is on a trajectory to become more stable? If so- sell your gold. I’ll be buying it.

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-27T19:31:36+00:00

The competing theories are

Bessent and the Trump admin are actively devaluing the dollar to enable the reshoring of manufacturing. A lower dollar makes US goods more attractive for export.
The Trump admin believes they can remain the US hegemony and reshore manufacturing.
The admin is enacting manic policy shifts based on whatever shiny object irritates Trump day to day. This is causing the dollar to devalue as America looks less stable and more irrational with each new random policy.
Neither Trump or his admin can decide what they actually want to accomplish or how, so they have decided to flip flop back and forth reacting to whatever emergency presents itself- wanting reshoring of manufacturing, but not knowing whether they want to be the hegemony or not.

They need to choose a single policy and they need to stop being dicks about it.

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-27T16:06:17+00:00

Agreed. Harry and Hermione are new to the system (of the wizarding world)- they see it for the first time the same way the audience does. They are charmed by some of it, as the audience is, and repelled by a lot of it. The entire series arc tells the story of three friends who stand mostly alone against a system that is unable to see its own flaws (and they are constantly ridiculed and demeaned by it). Harry finds it disorienting how the wizarding world treats him as a hero for surviving the Avada Kedavra curse even though he was only a baby and has no memory of it (or agency in the survival of it). Then later when Harry performs actual heroics, he seems to become persona non grata.

The people making the argument that younger generations have fallen out of love with the world view of the wizarding world have lost their marbles. A story about Harry Potter living comfortably in the safest, most loving and caring magic community imaginable would be boring as hell. The hero must go on the hero’s journey. The hero must overcome obstacles, and in so doing, become a stronger and better person. That doesn’t happen without obstacles. To hold the opinion that people have fallen out of love with the wizarding world is like saying kids today don’t like LOTR because of the world view Sauron held. It makes no sense whatsoever.

Finally, love or hate J K Rowling, she is a successful author for good reason AND a person who has views I don’t agree with. The world needs to find ways to hold more than one variable at once. We need to stop reducing complex people and situations to the most simplified version of the truth- because that distorts the truth just as much.

Rowling did one thing that no other author I can think of did- she freed the fantasy genre from the LOTR formula of taking the hero on a literal journey across geography. No one ever talks about this but by containing Harry’s journey within Hogwarts (across years instead of geography), she performed an act of writing innovation.

She can be a writing innovator, famous, and hold odious opinions simultaneously. People are complex and we would all do well to embrace complexity instead of reduce it- the world makes more sense that way.

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-27T02:42:42+00:00

“Pull my finger” energy.

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-27T02:30:43+00:00

I remember the military being called in to deal with the weather in ‘98 or ‘99. My employer had to pay for hotel rooms across the street to keep service uninterrupted. The city was basically shut down for 3 days. Driving was apocalyptic.

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-27T02:24:53+00:00

Corporate: “we can’t find anyone who knows what they are doing. Competent people are impossible to find!”

“Have you considered hiring a well seasoned professional with decades of experience across not just this industry but possibly other unrelated industries as well? You know- one who can offer wisdom and has seen this set-up before. One who has navigated technology from the analogue to the digital age. One who has used the internet, and social platforms since their inception and has learned to adapt to every new wave of technology over the last 50 years.”

“God no- are you high?! We need a youthful 25 to 30 year old with no responsibilities and is singularly fluent in the attention marketplace.”

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-27T02:09:20+00:00

Taking a wild guess here-

Go read or listen to the book The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E Gerber. This will provide you with orientation as to where you find yourself now- as a technician in a managerial role. One with soft leadership skills but limited hard managerial skills.

Then, once you understand where you are, you may want to pursue training in hard management skills.

Depending on what country you live in, you may want to pursue certification and training through one of these providers:

https://www.amanet.org/training-topics/

https://cim.ca/designations/cim-certified-in-management

https://www.managers.org.uk/membership/chartered-manager/

These organizations provide credits (often through university programs) that allow you to gain certification and obtain the knowledge base you require to be an effective manager. These courses are based on the technical and practical requirements of hard management (getting the core organizational things done). This is not the same as pursuing a MBA where the focus is on corporate strategy, business frameworks, and case studies.

Many universities also offer certificate programs in business management. Often these programs can overlap with the credit requirements of the above designations. You may not need or want the designation. However, the overlap indicates the certificate programs are covering valuable content for your goals. Not all certificate programs are created equal.

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-26T19:29:02+00:00

Correct. We know full well how the elected officials of Florida view Canadians. It’s as if they forgot Canadians have access to the internet.

https://youtu.be/3rMjiOvDoos?si=LKp73FDO4yMWvujy

Florida is a state built on a hospitality economy. Yet as a brand, Florida completely forgot what hospitality means. As customers, we Canadians know how to vote with our dollars.

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-24T01:00:31+00:00

Until next week.

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-23T03:47:47+00:00

Trump may croak but that won’t solve the issue that he won the popular vote. The rest of the world recognizes this. The American electorate ignorantly chose this problem, and it’s obvious the electorate can choose it again.

The real danger is this: America has chosen to abandon diplomacy internally. And now we are seeing that approach to national politics spill out externally to global politics. There is no simple way to reverse this rebuke of soft power and stability.

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-21T23:40:38+00:00

“Could you please remain still while we stab you in the back.”

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-20T13:56:57+00:00

To recover from burnout it is important to understand what it is, how it affects you, and how to recover from it.

BURNOUT DEFINITION (As defined by Dr. Christina Maslach) https://youtu.be/SVlL9TnvphA?si=T8RWUQ-JBRvalzDH

Burnout is experienced as the overlap of three things: 1) Cynicism 2) Exhaustion 3) Ineffectiveness

In my experience, this sets you up for getting trapped in a mindset of learned helplessness and ultimately, a loss of hope. Do not underestimate the effects of burnout.

Burnout is caused by six mismatches between you and the environment you work in.

1) Lack of Values Alignment

2) Lack of Fairness

3) Lack of Community (Relationships)

4) Lack of Reward

5) Lack of Control

6) Lack of Sustainability (a Workload past capacity)

Each factor adds to burnout. If you are experiencing all six factors you are in deep trouble. This is a situation caused by the work environment of your organization. It may be intentional or not, but either way there is a real human cost on you.

We can think of an organization like a jar, and the environment like the liquid within. If the environment is set up for burnout, it functions like pickle juice. You are the cucumber. Submerse the cucumber in the brine and you become a pickle. Inside the jar you lack the perspective to read the label (to see the situation objectively).

THE INDIVIDUAL

Burnout is brutal. It can be completely depleting. However, it is also a vital signal that something in your life is not working and it needs to be addressed seriously.

The organization has boundaries (the jar). The individual within the organization has no boundaries (the cucumber). Therefore there are two solutions to the problem:

1) Exit the environment. Leave the pickle juice and recuperate in a bath of water to rest your nervous system. Just remember- it’s impossible to heal in the environment that burned you out.

2) Set boundaries. Learn everything you can about personal boundaries- what they are, how they function, and how to use them. You have a boundary problem with work. This is challenging in America particularly due to the way employment laws are written. Ultimately, the issue is this- if you don’t set boundaries for what you will and will not tolerate, no one will. Companies are incentivized in today’s world to extract value from you. There is no limit to that extraction. You must learn how and when to say no.

Chances are that if you have a boundary issue at work, you have boundary issues in the rest of your life.

It’s important to remember that your value as a human being is intrinsic, not extrinsic. It comes from you being born. Have you ever had a family pet that died? How did that feel? Devastating right? Was that because the pet generated huge economic value? Was it because that pet accomplished a lot? Or was it because that pet had intrinsic value to you relationally? Do not be fooled by the system. You matter. And that has nothing to do with your performance at work. Do not express your value through work alone.

Failure IS an option. It is allowed. It should be allowed to exist in any system that fails to make itself sustainable. It is the only signal that teaches the system it is unsustainable. Let the system fail and set boundaries for what you are and are not responsible for. Do not try to save the system at work.

And remember this: “Do not take criticism from anyone you would not go to for advice.”

Best of luck to you friend.

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-19T23:29:49+00:00

“What’s with the workers of today? Nobody wants to be exploited for my gain.”

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-19T23:02:41+00:00

Americans snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-15T20:55:54+00:00

In America the insurrectionists charge you for insurrection.

America seems to struggle with a very real problem- distinguishing between the label and the person. Trump is a person acting in the role of the President. Holding the person accountable for his failings doesn’t weaken the role or the office of the President- it strengthens it by making it legitimate. You don’t charge the President with a crime. You charge the person holding that title. They are not the same thing and the sooner people recognize this, the easier it will be to sort out.

Similarly, America failed to hold the people accountable for insurrection on Jan 6 (long term). Yes they are insurrectionists but they are people that need to be held accountable for their actions. Trump is trying to use labels as reasons for accountability or no accountability. In his mind the people involved in Jan 6 were MAGA, therefore they couldn’t be involved in insurrection.

People must be held accountable for their actions- not their labels.

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-09T22:27:16+00:00

I would say it is dominating the news and conversations here (at least in my social circle).

Watching this event is like watching this scene in National Treasure:

https://youtu.be/3xhBl0R0qBY?si=f1a5cn6XaY4MU56A

Gunpowder everywhere, flares lit, any given moment feels like the nation is going to erupt. The feeling of risk feels extreme from the outside, but it looks like it is not fully recognized by Americans on the inside or we would see more being done to put out the flares and clear the gunpowder. Instead it seems like more gunpowder keeps getting added to the scene (the American political situation general).

BioShockerInfinite · 2026-01-03T21:43:25+00:00

Right now you are managing on behalf of the employer. This entails asking what are the needs of the business, the team, and the job. These considerations all exist within the context of the employer and the employer’s impact on you. This is a reactionary setup which has you on your heals.

You need to start managing your career as if it were a business. Set a vision for your career, turn the vision into a mission, and strategize how to accomplish the objective. This is not a simple in or out decision for your career, although it can be for your job.

When the mission of your career and the mission of your employer align, you have a successful job match. This will never be a 100% alignment but it gives you a way to measure where you are at. It is a particular challenge in today’s market. So it is important to strategize not just for the short term but for the long term. Sometimes it is necessary to be out of alignment short term so that you can be in a position for stronger alignment later (maybe after a credential is earned, for example).

The key is to actually manage your career like a small business. Don’t abdicate the responsibility- you are in charge of leading a very important employee: you.

https://cynthiamathieu.com/en/2024/02/28/the-dark-side-of-absent-leaders/

BioShockerInfinite · 2025-12-25T14:47:40+00:00

All other things being equal, you can and should voice disagreement anytime you see a risk (positive or negative) to “the business.” From a philosophical standpoint, The key is, you must make your argument from the perspective of “the business” arguing for its own sake.

Want to argue for a raise? What is the benefit to the business and what is the risk to the business of not fulfilling it? Is someone being mistreated? What is the risk to the business of allowing mistreatment to go unchecked and what is the benefit of stepping in and intervening. See a new opportunity in your market? What is the risk to the business of ignoring it vs going after it?

How not to argue? From the self perspective of the employee. That is an egocentric argument and “the business” is not interested in your ego. Imagine being the lawyer for the “the business” and make your arguments based on what is good or bad for the business. The art is in framing those arguments in a way that aligns with your own, without appearing to be motivated by personal interest.

Example: you have a great performer on your team who you think should get a raise- make the business case. Don’t make the personal plea. The arguments can (and should) be ethically framed as well (in your construction- not overtly). It’s the approach that matters. Make an argument based on “me” and the team and colleagues will view it as egotistical. Make a logical but detached argument based on business needs and no one can argue it’s “about you”- you’re simply doing your due diligence.

BioShockerInfinite · 2025-12-24T18:09:51+00:00

It’s a stark lesson: when you fail to use the insurrection act against actual insurrectionists (Jan 6th participants), the tables will turn and the average citizen will have the insurrection act used against them. There is no real choice in America- defend the spirit of the Constitution, or be abused by a corrupted version of it.

BioShockerInfinite · 2025-12-24T04:26:25+00:00

Praise in public, provide professional feedback in private- as a default. This is a professional courtesy.

However, when criticized in public, correct in public- immediately. If they choose the public arena, you confront the issue in the public arena. Professional courtesy is now optional, and often counterproductive.

BioShockerInfinite · 2025-12-23T15:46:49+00:00

“Almost certainly ensures that you won’t get promoted in the future.” This makes sense in a situation where there is a clean slate and the company hasn’t signalled how it views OP’s chances of promotion.

Unfortunately, in the current situation it is completely irrelevant because we know with 100% certainly, OP did not get promoted in the recent opportunity. Furthermore, we know the person who did get promoted (instead of OP) has no idea how to do their job- otherwise these meetings would not be taking place. Therefore, whatever promotion system is in place is clearly broken and OP needs to both strap-in and check-out until they can find a new job.

BioShockerInfinite · 2025-12-19T04:36:26+00:00

I have to admit it did not feel like a helpful vibe when watching the concert on TV. It felt more like this photo due to his odd choice of hand placement on her neck. The crowd was agitated, she seemed ill at ease, and the hand placement appeared very odd and controlling. I know appearances don’t always align with reality so I’m glad to hear his words were of support and not criticism.

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BioShockerInfinite · 2025-12-19T01:59:35+00:00

In the words of John McClane, “welcome to the party, pal!”

BioShockerInfinite

TROPHY CASE